UENO ZOO

Ueno Zoo was Japan's first and its most famous zoo. It is conveniently located in Ueno Park right near Ueno Station.

The Ueno Zoo (恩賜上野動物園, Onshi Ueno Dōbutsuen) is a zoo, owned by the government of Tokyo, and located in Taito Ward, Tokyo, Japan. Japan's first and now most famous zoo, it opened on March 20, 1882. Its location, a five-minute walk from the Ueno Park Exit of Ueno Station, makes access from Tokyo's public-transportation network convenient. The Ueno Zoo Monorail, the first monorail in the country, connects the eastern and western parts of the grounds.

Ueno Zoo Entrance

The giant panda, Sumatran tiger, and western lowland gorilla head the list of the zoo's population of 422 species (as of March, 2003). Ueno has more variety than any other zoo in the nation.

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 dreary, old-fashioned cages of the past have been replaced with modern habitats, such as the "Gorilla Woods".

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.

The Ueno Zoo is located within Ueno Park, a large urban park that is home to several museums, a small amusement park, and other attractions.

Main Animals at Ueno Zoo

Here are some of the animals at the Ueno Zoo:

Giant panda
Sumatran tiger
Western lowland gorilla
Asiatic lion
Polar bear
Lesser panda (also known as the Red Panda)
Asian elephant
Reticulated giraffe
White rhinoceros
Zebra
Japanese macaque
Red-crowned crane
White-tailed eagle
Goat
Sheep
Pig
Ostrich
Rabbit

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.

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