Japanese Serow – Japanese cute/ugly deer goat thing?
Late one summer evening, I found myself alone, navigating the winding mountain road back to my home in Shirakawa. The forest pressed in on all sides, thick, dense, and swallowing what little light remained. My headlights bounced across the bumpy asphalt, throwing strange shadows into the trees and turning every branch into a potential cryptid. As I descended, I spotted another car ahead, slowing for a sign warning of upcoming roadworks. That’s when it happened. Out of the darkness, right at the roadside, something stood watching, waiting, and, if I’m honest, probably judging my driving. The creature was about the height of my wing mirror, brownish with a lighter face and enormous pointy ears jutting from its narrow head. If there were a contest for Japan’s ugliest animal, I’d hand it the trophy myself, though, to my utter bewilderment, some folks apparently consider it cute. As it stared me down, I had to do a double take. Had a deer and a goat conspired to create this oddball? It turns out I’d just met the serow: a peculiar, “living fossil” native to Japan, and an unforgettable roadside companion.
Roaming the rugged mountains of central Honshu, the serow is usually spotted alone, perhaps deep in thought about life’s mysteries. Occasionally, a fortunate serow finds a kindred spirit and forms a family unit, but let’s be honest, it probably takes a serow to truly appreciate another serow’s unique charm. Once nearly hunted to extinction, these oddballs are now protected as national monuments, with a culling ban still enforced in 23 prefectures. This status is the same as that of the Deer in Nara. Serows are strict vegetarians, munching on leaves, shoots, and acorns, making them both eco-friendly and, one might say, the original mountain hipsters. Their bushy fur and tiny horns, so petite they’re easy to miss, complete their quirky look; the roadside serow I met seemed to be hornless, but it was just being modest. The “living fossil” nickname? That’s because no fossil records have ever been found for the species. However, the earliest evidence of them was found on digs dating back to the Joman period. In the 8th century, a poem briefly mentions a group of serow. There are also drawings from around this period resembling our goat-deer creature. In the Heian period, life for the serow was troublesome as their horns were hunted and used for medicinal purposes. This was the reason why our serow slowly became increasingly endangered.
Genetic studies reveal the serow’s closest relative is the Taiwan serow, and that it’s more closely related to goats and sheep than to cattle or deer. Still, many Japanese people consider it a kind of deer, hence its name: kamoshika, which uses the kanji for both deer and antelope. The serow is, in every sense, a creature that defies labels.
The Serow rocks a scary set of 32 teeth that become black and dark like their souls; their teeth slowly become coated in tree resin. Behind those darkened teeth lies a sharp, pointed tongue. Their bodies are stocky, allowing them to thrive in colder climates; their bushy coat lightens in the summer. A fun aspect of the Serow is that the horns on their heads keep growing throughout their lives, and not only this, but depending on the environment, they will grow larger if the environment is plentiful. Like tree rings, the serow's horns are a biological record of the animal's environment and diet. The serow I saw was taking an evening stroll; to me, the surroundings were dark and spooky. But to a serow, who rock very good eyesight even in low light, the surroundings were perfect to blend in and hide from predators. The serow has been known to just vanish into thin air. So, if you are lucky or unlucky enough to see one, take a good look as they vanish as quickly as they appeared. It is easy to see why superstition around this creature has come about. Imagine a farmer working on his field near the edge of a dark forest; he looks up briefly to wipe his brow, and suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he glances at a dark figure. He blinks, and the figure is gone; it is easy to see where local rumours and legends of cryptids have emerged from.
Today the serow only has two predators to fear: the Japanese wolf and bears; if danger is sensed, they will flee, emitting a high-pitched snort. Again, adding to the mystery and rumours surrounding cryptids in forests. Imagine again our farmer: he blinks, and the figure which has just vanished is replaced by a high-pitched whistling noise. By now, he fears for his life that some demonic entity is out to get him. The serow is gifted with great agility; it rolled a 12 and can sprint up mountains and jump from cliff to cliff. Among locals, the serow has also been likened to that of a ninja; it can vanish into thin air, and when it has been seen, it can run up mountains and jump across large gaps. The serow leads a good life, unaffected by harsh winters and often living anywhere between 20 and 25 years. Nowadays, the serow is considered of least concern and can live out its life, jump-scaring motorists and creating urban legends. Many farmers and foresters actively campaign against the demon serow, as it is believed that the serow are interfering with the post-war reforestation projects, as the young saplings are too delicious to ignore. Poaching of serow continues in very rural areas; it has even gained the nickname ningen to shika no sensō. This translates to the war between deer and humans, or even the Serow war.
These frustrations have often led foresters to file lawsuits over property damage. In Gifu, tensions in the so-called war against deer have reached a boiling point, with some foresters justifying shooting serows in the legs by claiming it is non-fatal. Estimating the serow population remains difficult, and foresters resent the government’s continued protection of the species. As a result, both sides accuse each other of undercounting or overcounting the population to support their own arguments. Conservationists have launched an interesting theory: the increase in serow sightings is not because of an increase in population; in fact, it is because deforestation is driving them closer to humans and away from their natural homeland. So perhaps the foresters' problem is self-inflicted? Whatever the answer, maybe it is clear that this deer-goat creature is like marmite; it is either beloved or truly despised. The serow featured on the 8-yen stamp briefly in 1952 and in 1973. In an act of kindness, Japan was gifted a cute giant panda by China…. In return, Japan gifted? China a pair of serows, making one wonder if this was truly a gift. The panda was cuter on every level.
To end this loving blog about Serow I will now list some of the iconic names given to them by locals: "mountain sheep", "wool deer", "nine tail cow", and my personal favourite "cow demon". Regional names abound and translate as "dancing beast", "foolish beast", or "idiot". Japanese people often characterise the serow as "weird" or "abnormal", and it is seen as a "phantom animal"; they appear to judge and stare into the souls of people. As I was making my way down the mountain, the serow decided to check me out and think, " Dang, she’s hot”. I kid. Serows, as we mentioned, are super agile, and this agility has been noted by the car company Yamaha, and they lovingly named a model after the serow. The serow has also been noted for its sure-footedness in mountain climbing, and in Japan students can buy charms with the serow's autograph, aka hoof print on them. They believe that the serow who never falls will help them pass their exams. Whether it works is up to you.
So, if you ever find yourself driving late in the evening, and the darkness slowly creeps in around you. Be careful in case you are jump-scared by a dark, shadowy figure who vanishes as quickly as you found him. The serow is a creature that can divide the room with its looks and nature. I hope this blog has been interesting and that now you can head over to Google to formulate your own opinion on this creature. For me, I find the serow very ugly and hope I do not incur its wrath, and I pray that my journeys will be unjudged and instead that I will cross paths with the cute, adorable Japanese weasel.
