After the World War II, the number of deer in Nara park decreased to as low as 80. However, thanks to the great efforts of the Nara Deer Protection Organization (鹿愛護会), today there are about 12,00 deer living in Nara park.
Every year, we welcome about 200-250 fawns from May through July. The public can see these cute newly born baby deer and mother deer in June at Roku-en. （鹿苑）
Roku-en is run by Nara Deer Protection Organization, located within the Kasuga Grand Shrine's complex. Deer that are insured, ill and pregnant, as well as those are difficult to stay within the park in harmony with other deer are taken here for special care and protection.
If you have every visited Nara in the early spring, the deer must had looked not as healthy as the thick winter hair are partially falling out. But that is a natural process, so by June, most deer look very healthy and nice with their summer hair with clear white-spotted pattern.
After late July, mother and baby deer are going to be released in the Nara park.
But there is an important rule that I'd like you to remember (if you visit Nara this timing)---don't touch the baby deer!! Mother deer take a while to identify their own baby, so if they smell like human, in worst cases, mothers neglect to raise their own baby.
At Rokuen, you can buy notebooks with cute deer pictures on the cover page. They are 200yen each, and 50 yen will go to donation to Nara Deer Protection Organization. （The picture below is from the official blog page by Nara Deer Protection Organization; notebooks 2017 edition)
