Woman's bad encounter with Japan's iconic Nara deer highlights important lesson for all tourists

A tourist in Japan was met with immediate payback after kicking at a deer, highlighting the importance of giving all wildlife space and respect. 

"A tourist kicks a Nara Deer in Japan and gets immediate retribution," read the caption alongside a video of the encounter posted to the social platform X by Protect All Wildlife (@Protect_Wldlife). 

A tourist kicks a Nara Deer in Japan and gets immediate retribution. pic.twitter.com/AEaGhAT10t

— PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE (@Protect_Wldlife) January 30, 2026

The video shows the tourist kicking at the deer, seemingly to shoo it away. The action prompts the animal to immediately jump on the tourist and kick them with its hooves before moving away. 

According to the Nara City Tourism Association, these deer roam freely in Nara Park and the surrounding area and are designated natural monuments of Japan. Famous and beloved for often bowing to visitors for food, they are still wild animals that can be aggressive, so they should be treated as such. 

Feeding these deer is a popular tourist attraction, and the deer have come to associate humans with food. Deer may also try to eat pamphlets or other objects that people hold in their hands.

If one approaches and you don't want or intend to feed it, it is recommended that you hold your hands up to show that you don't have food, not kick at it. 

Positive interactions with nature can deepen people's appreciation for the outdoors, and respectful engagement with wildlife helps preserve those experiences for others. Interactions like this can be stressful for those who witness them and hinder their experience. 

Further, in some instances, animals that act aggressively, provoked or not, are euthanized. These tourists were in an area known for wildlife interactions and should have followed the safety guidelines. 

Commenters on the video agreed. 

"Serves her right," one wrote. "Maybe have respect for animals." 

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"What are they even doing in a zoo or near animals if they don't respect them?" another added. 

"All they had to do was turn away," said one more. "It became aggressive because they were aggressive. Leave animals alone." 

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