Kushiro Zoo

After visiting the Shiretoko Peninsula and Lake Akan, my trip to Hokkaido ended with a one-night stay in Kushiro, Hokkaido’s fourth largest city with a population of about 173,000 people.  Realizing there would be about two hours of free time before catching a plane at Tancho Kushiro Airport, me and a colleague made a last-minute decision to check out Kushiro Zoo. 

Kushiro Zoo (opened in 1975) is located about 18 kilometers from the center of Kushiro City, in a rural area apart from even the residential neighborhoods.  In great contrast to the zoos located in Japan’s large urban centers, the grounds inside Kushiro Zoo are notable for wide-open spaces of grass and trees.  According to information found on the internet, the zoo’s grounds cover 47.8 hectares, a size comparable to zoos I have visited in the United States.  And since the number of species and individual animals kept at Kushiro is relatively low, the zoo seemed to have an abundance of extra space.

Hokkaido Zone

The area that I found most interesting was the “Hokkaido Zone” which featured animals native to Hokkaido.  Looking at the zoo map, this zone appears to cover about a third of the zoo’s grounds, but much of it is forest, and the areas actually accessible to visitors comprise only a fraction of the total.  Upon entering this zone, visitors could see a series of small cages containing Ezo Flying Squirrels and Hokkaido Squirrels. 

The squirrel cages were connected by tubular passages and the occupants could move from structure to structure.

Deeper in this zone was the Crane Conservation and Breeding Center, home to the Red-Crowned Cranes.  Visitors could only view the cranes from a distant observation deck, probably in order to minimize disturbing the birds.  Since there were a number of trees growing between the observation deck and the pens where the cranes were kept, the view of these beautiful birds was somewhat obstructed.

The Hokkaido Zone also included an actual marsh through which visitors could walk via a 450 meter boardwalk.  (For lack of time, I did not walk through this area.)  I thought that this marshland area and the adjacent swan pond were good examples of a zoo incorporating the natural geographical features of its location to showcase native animals.

Swan Pond

Located at the rear edge of the zoo grounds, the Swan Pond housed a pair of Whooper Swans as well as some ducks.  There were no nets placed above this pond, so I imagine migratory birds might sometimes use this pond as a rest stop during their travels.

There was an observation house that looked like a good place to watch the birds during the cold winter months.

Interior of observation house

Visitors could buy food to feed to the swans for 100 yen.  I observed two women feeding the “Swan food” to the carp in the pond.

Ezo Brown Bear

The Ezo Brown Bear enclosure was an old-style concrete structure with a raised mountain in the center portion.  When I first arrived at this exhibit, the two bears on display were napping.

One of the bears awoke when he realized that visitors might offer him bear snacks.

For 100 yen, visitors could buy snack pellets to feed to the bears.  This machine was located in the area above the bear enclosure.  From this vantage point, visitors could toss bear snacks down into the enclosure.

This area was located at the same level as the bears.  Note the bear snack vending machines located on the far wall and green-colored pipes located on the wall to the left.

Visitors could drop bear snacks into the green pipes.

Bear waiting for snacks to drop.

Owl Forest

This large bird-cage area featured owls found in Hokkaido.  The cages were laid out such that the birds could be viewed from four sides.

Eagle Owl

Snowy Owl

Monkey Mountain

Located just outside of the Hokkaido Zone was the “Monkey Mountain” housing the Japanese monkeys.  This exhibit featured a concrete mountain standing in the center of a concrete pit.  This type of exhibit is often referred to as a “Hageyama” or “bald mountain”, and it is a very common style of exhibition in Japanese zoos.

Visitors could feed the monkeys for 100 yen.

Ferocious Beast House

Each time I visit a zoo, I always make a particular effort to observe the enclosures housing the tigers.  Tigers are great at attracting visitors, and I find it interesting to compare the quarters in which they are housed.  Kushiro Zoo’s home for the tigers is the “Ferocious Beast House”, and it is located almost in the center of the zoo.

The beast house included five separate outside display cells located in a row.  (Each had corresponding inside quarters.)

There were three lions; a male and a female in one cell and a second male in a separate cell.

There were also three tigers.  A two-year old male named “Asama” was alone in a cell that appeared to be about 10 meters from left to right and about 4 meters from front to back.

A thirteen-year old female named “Choco” (born 2004) was housed in a cell that appeared to be about 8 meters from left to right and about 4 meters from front to back.

In the cell immediately adjacent to Choco was another female, Choco’s daughter “Cocoa”, born in 2008.  Originally, Cocoa had two siblings, and they were the first Amur tigers to ever be born at Kushiro Zoo.  One sibling died at the time of birth, and a brother named “Taiga” survived for a little more than a year.  Cocoa, and the story of her survival, became the subject of a great deal of media attention because she and Taiga were born with a hereditary disorder that left them unable to move their rear legs.  Cocoa later learned to use those rear legs, but she does so with a severe limp.  

Many zoo visitors say they are inspired by the story of Cocoa’s survival and struggles, and a number of books and videos telling the story of Cocoa and Taiga were produced.  Some of those books and videos are still available for purchase even today.

Other Animals

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the number of species, and the number of individual animals kept at Kushiro Zoo are relatively low.  Still, due to time constraints, I was unable to see the Wapiti Ezo Deer, Gibbons, Orangutan, Chimpanzee, Reindeer, and Bison.  I do believe I saw just about everything else.  Below are photos of three other large mammals and their exhibits.

Kuril Seal 

Polar Bear

Giraffe

Amusement park rides

Japanese zoos, especially the ones located in smaller population markets, tend to include amusement park-type rides to attract families with young children. Kushiro Zoo was no exception with equipment including a carousel, a UFO ride, a Ferris wheel, and a Bouncy house.

Close Encounters with Animals

Besides the bear-feeding and monkey-feeding activities discussed earlier, Kushiro Zoo also included a children’s zoo where visitors were allowed to touch rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, and sheep.  Due to lack of time, I was unable to take a close look at this area.

Food and Souvenirs

Near the rear of the zoo grounds, there was an exhibition house where visitors could buy light snacks.  (The zoo map also showed two other buildings marked as “rest areas” where vending machines were said to be located.)

The exhibition house included a small section dedicated to the sales of animal related toys and goods, including a few goods such as postcards and pens that were branded with the “Kushiro Zoo” name.  Compared to zoos located in larger cities, the selection of goods was quite limited.

Near the Main Entrance, there was an information counter that sold postcards, pens, and DVD’s and books about Cocoa and Taiga.

Getting There

Kushiro Zoo is located a good distance outside of Kushiro City, and there are no nearby train lines.  The most convenient way to get there is by car (or perhaps taxi), and it is about an 11-minute drive from Tancho Kushiro Airport or about a 27-minute drive from JR Kushiro train station in Kushiro City.  The zoo brochure mentions that access is also possible by bus from JR Kushiro Station, but it doesn’t mention how much time the ride takes. Admission for adults was 570 yen.  Junior high school students and younger children were admitted free.

(Note: All photos in this post were taken during a visit made on September 11, 2017.  The comments in this post are based on observations made at that time.  Conditions may have since changed.  Please check it out for yourself!)