Excessive sika deer density affects farming and forests in Kenting; scholars suggest birth control

Taiwan's sika deer restoration has paid off, with numbers rebounding to 1,500, but now reports say deer herd density is too high, and their foraging and trampling behavior is seriously affecting crops and forest growth in Kenting. The Kenting National Park Headquarters under the Forestry Bureau said it will carry out birth control for the sika deer; scholars also suggest a multi-pronged approach, including birth control programs and installing fences or electric grids, to prevent the sika deer from continuing to damage the precious ecosystem.

With so many sika deer, could a deer-viewing itinerary like Nara's in Japan be developed? Tsai Cheng-jung, secretary-general of the Kenting Sheding community, which has promoted ecotourism and sika deer restoration in recent years, said Sheding deer viewing is limited to within the conservation park so as not to overly affect the sika deer's way of life, unlike Japan's Nara, which seeks to encourage close contact between visitors and deer and allows feeding.