TOKYO, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- As Japan has witnessed record high temperatures recently, even deer feel the need for a festive dip in the sea to cool down.
On the Ryuguhama beach of the Kyoto Prefecture in Midwest Japan, visitors found a male deer bathing in the water, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported Wednesday.
The one-meter-long animal walked slowly in the sea and then stood still. Visitors on the beach were surprised at the deer's presence as it proceeded to bathe for several minutes.
When children approached, the deer ran out of the water and scarpered toward a mountain.
"I was really amazed by the deer, but it looked so relaxed," said Riyo Inoue, 37, who was visiting Ryuguhama with her family and friends.
Her husband Naoki Inoue, 36, captured the scene on his smartphone.
According to the Kansai Wildlife Research Association in Kyoto, deer are adept at swimming and sometimes swim between islands.
High temperatures across Japan have killed dozens and forced thousands to be hospitalized over the past three months. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the extreme heat is expected to continue in August.
