Nara Deer Park is a tourist hotspot.

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The deer are generally docile and friendly, and visitors can purchase crackers from nearby carts to feed the animals.

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But besides tailing humans with food, the deer have another strange, yet oft-witnessed behaviour.

Town hall

According to SoraNews, the animals would gather in the summer evenings from about 6:30pm to 7pm, reportedly to rest and relax.

Although this is an annual phenomenon, their numbers are higher than usual this year.

Here they are, crowding on the same patch:

SoraNews counts 623 participating deer.

Which is about half the deer population in the park.

Shortly after 7pm, the deer would leave and go back to different areas of the park.

Sika deer

The phenomenon, witnessed every year during summer, is known as shikadamari (deer gathering spot).

However, no one knows why it occurs.

While the deer have been known to rest together in small groups, SoraNews reports that it is "unusual" for such a large number to gather at the same spot.

Moreover, the gathering takes place at the same time, same spot, and for the same duration every evening.

When SoraNews enquired with the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation about this phenomenon, the organisation replied,

“We understand that the deer gather in front of the Nara National Museum, however no survey has been conducted into the number of deer that gather there. We also do not know the reason why they gather there. Sorry we cannot be of any assistance.”

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The deer in the park are Sika deer, otherwise known as the spotted deer or Japanese deer.

According to various sources, males usually keep to themselves, but may form herds occasionally.

Female deer with fawn form herds during birthing season, which takes place in autumn.

Top image via @Ladygiodesi on Twitter