Mount Ibuki, a 1,377-meter-high mountain straddling Shiga and Gifu prefectures that is visited by many climbers, is now on the verge of a crisis ¡ª being seriously damaged by wild Japanese sika deer eating its plants.
In July last year, the mountain¡¯s slopes collapsed due to heavy rain, leading to the closure of trails.
The alpine flower field at the summit is listed as a national natural monument. The city of Maibara in Shiga Prefecture, which is mainly responsible for maintaining the mountain, calls the situation the ¡°Mount Ibuki shock,¡± and is working to restore the mountain¡¯s ecological balance.
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