| History |  |
World War II
Ueno Zoo's saddest time came during World War II. The Japanese Army ordered that all "wild and dangerous animals" at the zoo be killed, claiming that bombs could hit the zoo and escaping wild animals would wreak havoc in the streets of Tokyo. Requests by the staff at the zoo for a reprieve, or to evacuate the animals elsewhere, were refused. Ueno Zoo's three elephants at the time, John, Tonky, and Wanly (or Wang Lee) were too clever to eat the poisoned food, and thus were slowly starved to death. The fate of Ueno's animals, particularly the elephants, has often been used in Japan as an example of the evils of war.
Recent renovations
Within the limits in which it operates, the Ueno Zoo attempts to provide the animals an environment similar to the natural habitat. In recent years, the old-fashioned cages of the past have been replaced with modern habitats, such as the "Gorilla Woods". |
| Description | |
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It is a five-minute walk from the Park Exit of Ueno Station, with convenient access from Tokyo's public-transportation network. The Ueno Zoo Monorail, the first monorail in the country, connects the eastern and western parts of the grounds. The zoo is located within Ueno Park, a large urban park that is home to several museums, a small amusement park, and other attractions.
Animal population
As of March, 2003, the zoo has 422 species. The Sumatran tiger, and western lowland gorilla head the list of the zoo's population. Ueno has most variety of species on exhibition than any other zoo in Japan.
At some point, redistribution of the animals among Tokyo's other zoos (including Tama Zoo and Inokashira Nature Park) left Ueno without a lion. However, in response to public demand, Ueno borrowed a female from the Yokohama Municipal Zoo.
As of 2008, recent animals at the Ueno Zoo included:
- Giant panda (Ling Ling, Ueno's only giant panda, died of chronic heart failure on April 30, 2008, leaving Ueno Zoo without a panda for the first time since 1972.) China has agreed to lend a male and female to Ueno.
- A Lesser panda (also known as the Red Panda)
Other animals have included the Sumatran tiger the Asiatic lion, the Western lowland gorilla, the Polar bear, the Asian elephant, the Reticulated Giraffe. and the White rhinoceros
The zoo is also often home to zebras, Japanese macaques, red-crowned cranes, White-tailed eagles and King Penguins, along with goats, sheep, pigs, ostriches, and rabbits.
Ueno Zoo opens 9:30am. to 5:00pm (tickets sold until 4:00pm) and closes every Monday (closes Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday).
*The Vivarium and the Small Mammal House close the door at 4:15pm.
The zoo closes from December 29 through January 1.
Admission : Adults (16-64) : 600 yen / Seniors (65+) : 300 yen / Students (13-15) : 200 yen / Children (0-12) : Free(2009)
The admission is free on March 20 (Ueno Zoo's Anniversary Day), May 4 (Greenery Day), and October 1 (Tokyo Citizens' Day).
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno_Zoo
Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License
Ueno Zoo, 9-83, Ueno Park, Taito-ku, 110-8711 Tokyo |
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