The doldrums of deer

Cultural relics aside, the tame deer that run "wild" in the parks surrounding Nara's most famous destinations are a fun perk for animal lovers. You don't even have to buy any of those dehydrated pancakes being sold all over the place because these creatures will nuzzle anybody for free. In fact, it seemed as though they were suffering from a case of overfeeding on the day we went. None of them were taking the crumbs on offer. Judging by the number of people who visit this city every year, it is likely that the poor dears are in somewhat of a snack rut. Besides, "cracker" is definitely not the first word that comes to my mind when somebody says "deer food". All right, not many people really talk about "deer food" these days, but honestly, did the city of Nara even consult them before phoning in an order for a million boring biscuits? Even if the animals could be provided with top-shelf cookies, wouldn't it make more sense to give them some form of plant life instead? Of course, I suppose if they weren't so tragically lethargic, they would never get close enough to pet.