Ueno Zoo

I have given up on Japanese zoos.  I just feel like there is so far to go regarding the quality of infrastructure that needs to take place for the benefit of the animals.  The small cement boxes that they keep the animals in depress me.  I am so sad for the animals.  I look at their eyes and see the sadness.  It is one of those "American concepts" that I just can't let go of - zoo animals are happier and healthier in large enclosures that replicate their natural habitat.  There is a purpose to zoos - research, learning, and breeding.  Keeping animals in cement boxes isn't the way to do it.

So, when our day at the Taiwanese festival was short-lived and the zoo was right there, I felt a bit apprehensive.  We wanted to continue the fun of the day and I was nervous that the zoo wouldn't be the best choice.  But my son had been hearing about the baby panda that was born at the Ueno zoo last year and really wanted to go.  So, I bit the bullet and we went to the zoo.

When we paid to enter the zoo, I was shocked to find out adults are charged ¥600 ($5.50) and children under 15 are FREE!!!  I couldn't believe a zoo charged less than $15 to get in the door.  What was I getting myself into?

Walking into the zoo, there was a lot of cement.  Immediately on our right was a large wall with a very long line winding up to it.  It was the panda line.  There was a man holding a sign indicating the wait was 120 minutes.  That's right - 2 hours!  There is no way my son would be able to stand in line for 2 hours.  We weren't going to see pandas at the zoo on this trip.  I said a little prayer in my head asking for the rest of the zoo would make up for not seeing the pandas.

We walked past the pandas to the elephants.  The Asian elephants were standing in a small enclosure that was filled with sand.  It reminded me of the elephant enclosures I grew up seeing in the 80s and 90s.  But after the elephants, were the hawks, vultures, owls, and other birds.  These enclosures had trees and plants and lots of roosting places.  The environment was changing.

The tiger enclosure was impressive with greenery and several layers, allowing the tiger to jump and leap like it does in it's natural habitat.  It was periodically walking up to the window, giving my son a thrill.  At that moment, I thought to myself - this zoo is really working hard at doing what is best for the animals that they care for.  There really is hope for Japanese zoos.

There aren't any tigers in this photo.

There it is!

The rest of our day was so much fun.  The zoo really surprised me again and again.  One highlight was seeing the echidnas in the nocturnal house.  I have a true love for these special creatures.  My son loved seeing both the baby gorilla and daddy gorilla up close.  My husband couldn't pick a single favorite moment, because his favorite is always watching our son's face light up with joy.  There were so many great moments during the day.

I'm so glad I gave in and explored Ueno Zoo.  The zoo is making so many strides in, what I believe to be, the right direction.  Toward the end of our visit, I watched a lemur bound across a bridge from a island filled with climbing structures to a house where it could rest.  The lemur looked happy and healthy and demonstrated natural behavior that my son was able to see up close.  And that is what zoos were build to do.