Saturday, July 26, 2014

Misaki Park


Misaki Park is located in the southernmost part of Osaka Prefecture, about a one-hour train ride from the Namba District in Osaka City.  Nestled among a group of hills next to the ocean, the park seems almost hidden among the surrounding forest.  The area feels very green and natural, and walking around the park, one will likely notice many wild birds, including Black Kites (Milvus migrans) soaring in the updrifts created by the winds coming inland from Osaka Bay.



Opened in 1957 by the Nankai Railway Company which operates the train line that stops at the park’s doorstep (Nankai Misaki Kouen Station), Misaki is an amusement park that includes an animal collection.  Roughly three-fourths of the property is comprised of amusement park-type rides and attractions, and the remaining quarter is dedicated to the animal collection and the “Shiny Stadium” dolphin show facility.  


A Mixture of Exhibits
Many of the exhibits at Misaki appear to have been designed and constructed with the intent to replicate the resident animal’s natural habitat.  Some of the exhibits succeed to a partial extent, some not at all.  Some exhibits allow clear views of the animals.  Some exhibits have plexiglas windows, or chain link fences, or netting material obstructing the view of the animals.  Some of the exhibits have a lot of space for the animals, some seem to be quite small. 

The exhibit for the Reticulated Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulate) was nice and spacious.  The giraffes seemed to be in good shape and quite accustomed to people, sometimes sticking out their heads only a meter or two away from visitors.  



The Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and Lion (Panthera leo) exhibits were located immediately next to each other.  Constructed on a steep slope, these exhibits featured running water, very high walls, a good amount of grass, and even a tree in each exhibit.  I have visited this zoo three times, and I noticed that the big cats are always lounging or sleeping in the upper parts of the exhibit where they can look down at the human visitors.

Tiger exhibit


Below is “Ran”, the female born August 20, 1997 at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.


I was hoping to see “Bulan”, the young tiger (and son of “Keahi”, a tiger born in Hawaii) that was sent to Misaki from the Sendai City Yagiyama Zoo in June, but he was apparently displayed during the morning, and so was in the night quarters from the afternoon.

Night quarters for tigers and lions.


The night quarters were dark and surprisingly small.


Lion exhibit



The below video of the tiger exhibit was recorded in 2012:


The manmade mountain in the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata fuscata) exhibit was the size of a small building.  I think there were about 40 macaques in this exhibit. 



The Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) were contained by high walls and a deep dry moat.



Some other exhibits: Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)



Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)



Sika Deer (Cervus Nippon)




Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)



Cages and Terrariums?
At the following enclosures, views of the animals were obstructed by Plexiglas windows, chain-link fences, or nets.


Raccoon (Procyon lotor) and Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)





Patagonian cavy (Dolichotis patagonum)



American Beaver (Castor Canadensis)




Clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea)


Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)




American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)




Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomus ludovicianus)



Bird Cages
The bird enclosures varied in size and shape.  I thought all of them would have seemed nicer if they were larger.


American flamingoes (Phoenicopterus rubber rubber)


The Bird Area contained many waterbirds



Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)



Black Kite (Milvus migrans) exhibit




Exhibit for Snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca)


From left to right: male, female, juvenile




Bird house



This Steppe eagle (Aquila rapax) had an area of about 3 meters by 3 meters by 3 meters.


Educational Efforts
All of the exhibits in this zoo had information signs which included the Japanese name, English name, and scientific name of the animal.  They also included information regarding the geographic habitat of the animal as well as IUCN assessment ratings and endangered statuses.  Unfortunately, other than the names, all of the information was only in Japanese.  (I also asked at the information desk near the park entrance about whether they had any English language maps or pamphlets.  I was told that they usually do, but they were temporarily out of stock on this particular day.) 



This zoo also featured an educational display in what used to be the elephant enclosure.  (There is no longer an elephant in this zoo, and judging by the transformation of this area into an educational display, I would venture to guess that Misaki Park does not intend to bring in a new elephant.)



Even in death, “Izumi” the elephant still resides in this enclosure in skeleton form.  (She died in 2004 at the estimated age of 50).  A display of plastic vegetables and straw is used to show how much food she ate each day.



This exhibit also featured the skeletons of other animals that lived in this zoo.  There were also replicas of various bird eggs and samples of real bird feathers.


In front of the Kangaroo enclosure, there was this sign which says “try touching this Kangaroo fur!”


Opportunities for Animal Encounters
There was a “Doubutsu Fureai Hiroba” where families could get close to small domesticated animals such as sheep, ponies, miniature pigs, Patagonian cavys, goats, chickens, and rabbits.  There was a 200 yen charge for entering this area as well as a separate 100 yen charge for food to give to the animals.




Outside of the Doubutsu Fureai Hiroba, there were signs throughout the park asking visitors to not feed the animals because their diets were controlled and monitored by the zookeepers.


Confusingly, contradicting the “do not feed” signs, there were a number of coin-operated machines located near the Japanese macaques and the Japanese black bears which dispensed animal feed for 100 yen.  Apparently, it is okay to feed the animals if you buy the food from these machines.  I hope that the amount of food packed into these machines is calculated into the animals’ daily rations.


The Japanese black bear sat in the same spot of his enclosure all day waiting for visitors to throw him food. 




According to the park pamphlet, during the summer vacation season in August, limited numbers of visitors can participate in play sessions with otters, feeding time with squirrel monkeys or giraffes, or donkey rides.  Also during the period from July 19 to September 28 (this year’s schedule), visitors can pay to touch and swim with the dolphins at the dolphin show facility.  (In some countries, dolphin swim activities are criticized as having negative effects on the animals.  Here in Japan, I have yet to hear anyone make such criticisms.)

Food and Souvenirs
There were 3 restaurants in the park as well as a number of vending machines selling drinks. 


Gyuudon, french fries, and a coke: 1100 yen.


The souvenir shop that served as the park’s exit insured that all visitors departing the park would have one last chance to spend their money in the park.


There was a fair selection of stereotypical zoo animal toys and goods available as well as a small selection of original zoo goods that had the Misaki Park name and logo: keychains, uchiwa fans, small hand towels, notepads, and pens.  There was a larger selection of food items like cookies, cakes, rice crakers, etc. that had the Misaki Park name and logo. 


Getting There
The entrance to Misaki Park is immediately adjacent to the Nankai Railways Misaki Kouen station.  The entrance is marked by a line of flag poles and a statue of an elephant.


After exiting the station, you walk about 250 meters down a gradual slope to the park ticket office.  Admission to the park is 1350 yen for adults and 700 yen for children (3 years old to elementary school age).


(Note: All photos taken in this post were taken during a visit on July 21, 2014.  The comments in this post are based on observations made on that day.  Conditions may have since changed.  Please check it out for yourself!)