At present, there are 89 zoos belonging to the Japan Zoo and Aquarium Association, and if zoos not belonging to the association are included, the number of zoos in Japan is said to be a little more than 110 nationwide, making the number of zoos in Japan one of the highest in the world. In such a zoo-rich country, Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden is the top zoo in terms of the number of animals kept, with approximately 500 species and more than 12,600 animals, followed by Ueno Zoo with approximately 350 species, and each zoo has a large variety of animals. Did you know that these zoos are now in a critical situation? It is not uncommon for zoos to find it difficult to maintain and manage their animals due to the climate and other environmental and financial conditions.
What we can do to help these zoos… is to take an interest in animals and, by extension, visit zoos to learn and enjoy themselves. On this page, we hope to introduce animals that are not so popular, such as pandas and gorillas, but are likely to make a breakthrough in the near future, in the hope of getting people interested in animals.
Hyena
The image of hyenas is that of villains… This is thought to be due to the fact that hyenas are often used as minions of villains in children’s cartoons. In fact, hyenas are friendly and cute animals.
Because of their cuteness, the hyena status improvement committee is gaining momentum on Instagram, and these are the candidates for the next generation of popularity!
Shoebill
Shoebill is a member of the pelican and other family group and is known as a motionless bird because it waits patiently for its prey. They are rare in Japan, as there are only about a dozen in captivity. The number of opportunities to see them in many TV anime such as Kemono Friends and Pripara has increased. After all, they move very little, so they are still a creature of great mystery.
Hamster
Hamsters are still immensely popular as animals that can be interacted with. Hamsters are relatively easy to keep as they require less effort than dogs and cats, and are said to have been greatly influenced by the TV animation series Tottoko Hamutaro, which was broadcast from 2000. Recently, hamsters have been attracting attention among TikTalkers and YouTubers for their ‘cute and mocking voice’, like that of Hamtaro from Tottoko Hamtaro, and hamsters are getting a new breakthrough thanks to Hamtaro.
Rabbit
This is another popular animal to interact with: the rabbit. Did you know that there is a ‘rabbit words’ for rabbits so much?
Usampo – to take a walk outdoors with a rabbit.
Foot dun – When a rabbit is angry, annoyed or alarmed, it duns its hind legs! and stomping loudly when angry, irritated or alarmed.
Bunny punch – A rabbit punches with a quick movement of its front paws.
Timote – A rabbit that bristles.
Lop – A rabbit with leaning ears, a rabbit’s leaning ears.
Rabbit punching⁉ Stamping its feet loudly⁉ Check if rabbits actually do that in zoos and other places…
Alligator
The Chinese zodiac sign for 2024 is the dragon. The dragon is an imaginary animal, but it was actually a crocodile that existed in ancient China⁉ It seems certain that the crocodile, if not the dragon, will be a breakthrough for the ministry in 2024.
*‘Crocodiles and dragons: the story of animals that could not become dinosaurs’ by Ryosuke Aoki.
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