Osaka is right next to Kobe, the whole region is a big conurbation. Tennoji zoo in Osaka is bigger than Kobe but in an even more urban setting, split in two halves surrounded by busy roads and towering buildings. It’s very much a stamp collection with many species in a small area. A map can be found here. Click on the link next to the red text underneath the image to see a larger version. The most impressive exhibits are for Asian elephants and an African savannah area. Both are relatively naturalistic if not huge and heavily planted, creating a sense of immersion. the trails around the Asian elephant enclosure lead you through densely planted undergrowth before you reach the elephants. There is a mixed savannah with giraffes and other ungulates, ostriches and hyenas seem to be here now from what I’ve seen on flickr. This is good because when I visited the hyenas were in a grim row of concrete barred cages with many species of carnivores. Small cats are in a row of similar scruffy cages. I remember fishing cats in a small cage with what seemed like a small tin bath of water. Black rhinos and hippos are nearby in nice looking enclosures but not huge, the hippos can be viewed underwater in a clear pool with fish. A flamingo pool backs on to the savannah. This is the best part of the zoo. There are koalas in a similar enclosure to Kobe. The map shows kiwis, I remember kiwis in Ueno but I can’t remember anything about them in Osaka. I think there are traditional grotto enclosures for bears and a standard pool for sealions. There is also a large domed aiviary with herons and storks. Lions and tigers were in grotto like moated enclosures which weren’t too bad. I think the lions have a new enclosure too. That’s about all I remember, the impression I got was one of a traditional zoo which is gradually changing completely but I have no idea about masterplans or future strategy.
Any news on black rhino breeding at Osaka (a prime breeding facility in the Japanese programme)? By the way (bit off-topic), have you ever mastered Japanese speaking and writing?
Osaka was the only zoo in Japan with kiwi, so if Ueno now has them and Osaka doesn't then they must have been swapped over because I know of no other kiwi going to Japan (at least not from NZ)
I haven’t heard anything about black rhino breeding but I have not followed zoo news from Japan for some time. I came back to England 3 years ago, then I was fairly fluent including reading but my Japanese is very rusty now. I can just about navigate the zoo websites without getting much of the detail though.
It’s entirely possible that kiwis are only at Osaka, I’ve been thinking about it and I can remember the enclosure at Osaka now but I’m pretty sure I also saw them in Ueno zoo’s nocturnal house, located near the dholes on this http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/pdf/map_ueno_english.pdf map. It was 4 years ago so I could easily be wrong and this brief English language page doesn’t mention them.||| TokyoZooNet - Zoos in Tokyo |||
Tennoji zoo is giving away its last koala "Ark/Aaku" (12 years old) to Longleat safari. Ark will have departure party in September 28 When Tennoji did a collection plan, koalas were one of the animals that was planned to be phased out. I wonder how his okd enclosure will be utilized... 天王寺動物園のコアラ「アーク父ちゃん」英国へ 同園のコアラ不在に
