This is the bizarre moment a tourist appeared to sit on top of a deer sparking confusion among parkgoers - but she was actually squatting on the ground.

Sarif Alam spotted the young woman taking pictures with a herd of deer, appearing to rest on one of the animals lying on the ground in Nara, Japan, on June 21.

Footage shows the holidaymaker squatting alongside the friendly creatures while one of them lies on the ground behind her.

This position created an optical illusion, making it look like the tourist was cruelly putting her weight on the animal when she was in fact taking care to avoid causing them any harm.

The video emerged online and initially sparked outrage when some viewers wrongly believed she was sitting on the deer.

The city of Nara has become famous for its population of wild Sika deer that roam freely around Nara Park.

There are around 1,400 deer living in the park, and they are considered to be messengers of the gods in Shinto tradition. They were once sacred animals, and killing one was punishable by death until 1637.