Japanese commuters were surprised to see a wild animal roaming a subway station. Scarlett (@scarlettcb_07) captured a video of the incident and posted it on TikTok. 

What's happening?

The video showed a deer curiously approaching a family that was walking through the subway tunnel. 

"She has things to do places to be I guess," Scarlett wrote in the video caption. 

@scarlettcb_07 She has things to do places to be I guess #deer #animals #japan #travel #fyp ♬ Jet2 Advert - ✈️A7-BBH | MAN 🇬🇧

Scarlett's TikTok followers had quite the range of reactions to seeing a deer in the subway. 

"Imagine how lost the poor thing is," said one community member. "Legit the only thing running in its mind is probably 'WHERE TF IS THE GRASS AND GREEN- HOW DO I LEAVE- GET ME OUTTA HERE' "

"The guy: oh deer (pun extremely intended)," replied another. 

Why are wildlife encounters important?

Between the degradation of natural habitats and the expansion of human habitats, wildlife is being thrust more and more into contact with people. Combined with food incentives from trash or offered directly by people, animal behavior stands to shift in an unproductive direction.

For example, at one point in the video, a boy pets the deer, which is only possible once deer become comfortable with people over repeated exposure. Deer are a vector for Lyme disease, which can be transmitted to humans via ticks. Due to shifting weather patterns, these incidents of transmission are increasing.  

Once animals become habituated to the feeding opportunities people present, they can become increasingly aggressive. Worse still, the food offered by people is often harmful.  

What's being done about deer interactions?

Increasing habitat protection is the clear way to provide wildlife with all the naturally occurring opportunities they need without having to sniff around human settlements. 

Japan is working hard to protect its natural habitat. In 2022, it launched a campaign called 30by30, which aims to protect 30% of its area by 2030. It included this target in its later National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which includes goals of improving human health through nature protections, integrating the economy with sustainable practices, and aligning with international goals and standards.

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