The Nara Deer Preservation Foundation said nine of the 14 deer that have died since March had plastic in their stomachs.

Masses of tangled plastic litter and packets of snacks were retrieved from their stomachs, with the heaviest amount weighing 4.3 kilograms.

The crackers tourists feed the animals don't come in plastic bags, but people still carry them. A veterinarian said the deer may associate the plastic with food.

Rie Maruko, a veterinarian who belongs to the animal conservation group, was quoted by Kyodo News as saying the dead deer were so skinny he could feel their bones.

Deer have four-chambered stomachs and eating objects that can't be digested can leave them malnourished and weakened.

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Volunteers participated in a clean-up campaign in the park on Wednesday.

AP