✍️: Erin 📸: Jan & Erin

Visitors are warned about the wild deer on Miyajima Island. But wild they are not. They are fearless pickpockets.

This little doe-eyed jerkface was at a safe distance and seemed a bit timid. Jan got out his camera and I didn’t feel threatened sitting several feet away. Then she suddenly closed the gap and went for the kill! (That’s a bit dramatic … she went for my right pocket. But I did get nibbled thigh in the process.

Jan’s map also lost in a tug of war. The deer stealthily goosed another lady a few minutes later.

Not all the deer were this aggressive, only the ones lounging around the main tourist attraction on the island: the Itsukushima Floating Torii Gate. Deer grazing farther up the mountain were far more timid.

The deer may be a pain, but the island has a ton to offer. A beautiful temple complex and a challenging hike with spectacular views — all covered in our previous post. For extra smiles, visit a slideshow of what we found to be one of the island’s most pleasant surprises.

(They look cute … )

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