Tides turn: Though most of the facts on the known population of the Nara deer have changed, from what they were when the area was settled 7,000 years ago, what’s still scientifically undisputed is that the deer largely still dwell in the area. On its face, the deer might seem like the perfect vegetarian: It eats a surprisingly diverse diet, including insects, berries, roots, twigs, and lots of vegetation, and it hibernates from mid-October until late April, keeping it warm while it waits for the flood season to come back.
But what does it cost? To keep the deer warm in the winter months, only 1,500 deer survive. Conveniently enough, that’s how many metal urinary rings seem to bring the deer the same regularity of a stallion, as taken from the Nara deer sanctuary’s website.
Unlike traditional cash-bagging plastic bags and plant-based compostable bags made from plants, which take months to breakdown, about 80 percent of these plastic rings dissolve naturally within 30 days. The deer are an easy food source, and anyone can make them by sewing plastic egg cartons — or, rather, spray-canning them in detergent, which explains why, after several weeks of chilling, the plastic doesn’t disintegrate, but solidifies as it melts.
A similar method, called boiling off buttermilk, made by David Farsow, has been used to produce crockery and potato peelings for centuries. It’s the best example of a long-running agricultural tradition: Usually, the tree the barnacle feeds on loses its protective cloak, leaving it exposed to the elements. When its heat rate increases after eight hours, it sheds its shell, enabling the process.
Having seen the deer grow out its protective cloak, high-traffic roads now are an obstacle. In 1521, to keep the deer safer, Nara’s townspeople boarded up 3,000 of them. Researchers think that had they applied the same strategy today, the deer would have continued living as they have for thousands of years — although it probably doesn’t feel the same. The deer no longer have homes along roads; now, they’re all left to their own devices. The Nara deer may not be as resilient as the oak of nearby Willowburg. But should the deer become too sensitive to plastic rings or regular wear and tear, even Nara’s locals may have to accept them.
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