Talk:Ueno Zoo
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Material from Japanese Wikipedia. Please correct any errors. Fg2 04:29, Sep 25, 2004 (UTC)
I changed the translation of 公園口 from "Park Entrance door" to "Park Exit," thinking that that would be more helpful to people arriving at Ueno Station by train, but I'm not sure how 公園口 is actually translated into English on signs in the station. If anybody knows, please correct. (I'll try to remember to look the next time I pass through the station.) Tomgally 05:37, 25 Sep 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Review of Ueno Zoo October 18, 2006
I just returned from a trip to Japan where I had the opportunity to visit the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. First, I have to say that the Japanese people are the most polite, gracious, and friendly people it has been my pleasure to visit. I found the atmosphere to be wonderful and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
I went to the zoo on a Thursday afternoon, the weather was warm, breezy and sunny. The majority of the visitors were young children from local schools, their teachers, and a few families. I must say that I abhor going to zoos in the US if I know they are packed with school kids. They are generally loud, obnoxious and poorly behaved and the parents or teachers do little to control them. After five years of volunteer work at the National Zoo the thought of hoards of young school children coming in to the Reptile House was enough to give me the shivers. I must say that the Japanese students were highly disciplined, well-behaved and, as you will read in a bit, completely trustworthy around animals.
I paid 600 yen to gain admittance (about $6.00) which allowed me to roam freely throughout the zoo. The zoo is in transition, from the old concrete and bars cages to newer habitats within enclosures that provide cover, concealment, foliage, textures, and often, opportunities for animal enrichment. First the old zoo….
Ueno Zoological Gardens is the oldest zoo in Japan. Founded in 1882, it has grown over the years, expanded its area to 14.3 ha (35.2 acres) and been the flagship of the Japanese zoo world. Now it's home to over 2600 animals representing 464 different species and include some very interesting species including pandas, aye ayes, okapis and a Komodo dragon.
Upon entering the zoo the visitor is confronted with old, worn out cages, rusty bars, and cramped, dirty cages. This was especially evident in several of the bird cages, primate cages, and some of the open enclosures housing mammals and birds. There was garbage in the crane exhibit, the bison was thin, undernourished and enclosed in a barren dirt cage, while other birds were crammed into small, square boxes with glass fronts and little room to fly. Signage consisted of little more than bilingual identification and some hand-drawn posters talking about the threat posed by introduced exotic species and the various species found on the Japanese Islands.
If I were to base my evaluation merely on this part of the zoo I would warn visitors away and tell them not to waste their time. However, as I wandered around the zoo I was pleased to see a gradual improvement in the enclosures (note my differentiation between the words cage and enclosure and habitat). In fact, not only were several of the enclosures a significant improvement over cages found in other parts of the zoo, but the signage, visitor access and viewing, and settings for the enclosures were also markedly better than the old section.
The elephant and Sumatran tiger exhibits were very nicely laid out, spacious, and displayed elegant signage that offered details of range, habits, habitat, and also included information on their status as threatened and endangered species. The tiger exhibit had a series of posters describing (in Thai) the trade in illegal tiger skins while the elephant exhibit had a nice physiology display.
The gorilla exhibit presented a nice habitat with varied terrain and foliage as well as several items on which to climb, sit and even in which to hide to escape human sight (extremely important for many animals but not popular with zoo directors). There were several viewing ports surrounding the exhibit and numerous signs to educate and inform the public.
The lion enclosure was also relatively new and provided generous space for the lions to roam and lounge. I noticed large bones chained to the rock, ostensibly to allow the lions to snack and work at gaining access to the bones. The enclosure was very open and allowed for multiple viewing areas by the public. One note: while at the lion exhibit I observed one of the lionesses coming up to a viewing window and watching the visitors. The visitors in turn began waving at the lioness who appeared to be very interactive with the visitors.
The bear exhibits (some under construction) were interesting and the bears appeared to be enjoying themselves, whether playing with one another or pursuing unseen food/prey in the rocks and logs of their enclosure. Again, the enclosures more closely mimicked the natural environment in which the animals were likely to be found.
On my way to the herp vivarium I passed the penguins, polar bear, and arctic exhibits. These were the more standard old-style of exhibits, typical of many traditional zoos. Emperor and jackass (I love being able to use that name) penguins vied for food from a keeper harking back to the more traditional “animals as circus performers” rather than as representatives of their species. The polar bear exhibit was just grotesque…
The herp vivarium is a large building covered with glass and housing a large variety of native and exotic reptiles and amphibians. I was very pleased to see that the majority of species housed there were from Japan. I never understood why the National Zoo in DC was so heavy on exotics when people traveling to the US want to see representatives of US species. Theoretically they can see exotics at their own zoos at home… In any event, the range of Japanese specimens, especially amphibians, was impressive.
As is the case with most zoos (the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum being a noted exception) most herp exhibits receive less attention and less support than the more charismatic animals (have you seen the panda exhibit compared to the reptile house at the national zoo lately –a perfect example). In the Ueno Zoo entry vestibule the majority of frog specimens were housed in ten gallon aquariums modified to provide a more natural habitat. The enclosures were set low on a shelf and were difficult to see (not to mention impossible to photograph). Observers look down upon the animals presenting an undesirable predatory-view to the specimens. The signage was minimal with little but common name, Latin name and range.
The glass of the enclosures was scratched, water spotted and generally dappled with light from the skylights making viewing even more difficult. On the other hand, the giant Japanese salamander enclosure was huge and provided a very nice natural enclosure which also allowed easy viewing by the public.
Upon entering the main vivarium complex I was reminded of the Florida Aquarium and a couple of other open rainforest type of exhibits. The building was open, light, and airy. The water enclosures were contained with thick curved Plexiglas with plants and rocks on the land portions. Some of the enclosures included artificial rock and logs for animals to bask on. Large filtration systems kept the water clean and circulating.
Some of the specimens on display included Malaysian box turtles (Cuora amboinensis), Malaysian eyed turtles ( ), a very large saltwater crocodile (Crocodilus porosus), a New Guinea Fly River turtle (Carettochelys ) and various fish species including arrowanas.
Land based reptiles were kept in smaller enclosures and were noticeably simple and barren. The komodo dragon (varanus komodoensis) was kept in an all too small enclosure with no area to burrow or seek shelter or concealment. The Galapagos tortoise was in a typical pen type of enclosure as were the Burmese Star Tortoises. I did not see any indication of full spectrum ultraviolet light although basking lights were present. On the plus side, all of the animals in this section appeared healthy and well fed.
Around the far side of the vivarium were the exotic snakes and lizards. I was disappointed to see a boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) kept with a Burmese python (Python m. bivittatus), both in relatively barren cages. A large western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) was rubbing furiously back and forth in an effort to find a way out of his all but empty cage. Also present were a Japanese rat snake, a pair of Gila monsters, and a reticulated python. The reticulated python cage was the most disgusting of the collection with fecal matter in the bottom of the cage in the section used for fresh water. The fecal material had obviously been there a while since it was well into the process of decomposition and putrification. Lighting was ambient and I did not see any indications of specific basking areas provided by spot lights.
On moving into the enclosed are of the vivarium I observed a selection of exotics on display. Several seriously deformed Russian tortoises occupied one cage that was again, too small for their numbers. Because there were also several posters nearby that discussed proper care, I wondered if these tortoises might be examples of improper husbandry and served as examples of why people should not keep herps as pets.
There were several posters using hand drawn cartoon characters that urged people to consider whether or not they should keep herptiles as pets based on size, temperament, and food requirements. These were very well done and appealed both to educated and less educated/younger visitors.
An alligator snapping turtle and a common snapping turtle were kept in small barren enclosures without hide boxes, vegetation or cage decorations. Several snakes were in smallish, undecorated enclosures as well and represented some of the species founding Japan. Nearby another sign admonished visitors not to keep pet herptiles because they could be seen there at the zoo rather than kept privately.
In one section I noticed two small Vision_type turtle enclosures each with a juvenile red eared slider. I was shocked at first because the turtles were out in the open, unattended and the enclosures had neither tops nor restrictive devices to prevent the public from either picking them up or stealing them!!!! Below each enclosure was a small sign that admonished visitors NOT to pick up the turtles or bother them. After watching visitor after visitor, not one person picked up the turtles. Apparently, in this culture, the public is both responsible and trustworthy. In the US, visitors actually break the enclosure glass and steal animals or throw things at them or try to poison them. What a difference!!!
Overall I give the vivarium a 5 on a scale of one to ten. The enclosures, while generally sufficient for a personal keeper or for a specimen to be warehoused, were not suitable for a large zoo. The cages were not overly complex or extravagantly decorated, but I assume this is the result of funding to the vivarium rather than a plan by the keepers to display the animals in small enclosures. Still, the building itself was quite beautiful and shows a great deal of potential. I am hopeful the staff will be working to improve the structure and layout of the enclosures to better display the herps.
I hit a few of the stores afterward and found the selection of products to be fairly nice. Although lacking in adult sized clothing, the numbers and types of toys, educational materials, and souvenirs was enough to fill more than few shopping bags. For us herp enthusiasts, there were quite a few herp-related toys and books that could be purchased.
Overall, the Ueno Zoo is well on its way to being one of the premier zoos in the world. Although small, it is nevertheless making extraordinary strides in improving the enclosures and displays of its captive species. The entry price certainly is reasonable and the services, offerings and access to the displays is comfortable and well laid out. I would very much like to visit the Ueno Zoo again in a few years to see if the renovation and modernization is complete. Still, if you are in Tokyo and get the chance, I would encourage you to drop by and see the zoo and experience it for yourself.
