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Top 10 Interesting Facts About the Ueno Zoo

Ueno Zoo is located in Tokyo, Japan.

The Ueno Zoo is also known as the Tokyo Zoo. It is located on a 14.3 hectare of land in Taito, Tokyo Japan.

It is managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It was opened on 20th March 1882.

The Tokyo Zoo is on a five minutes walk from the Park Exit of Ueno Station which is accessible from Tokyo’s public transportation network.

The Ueno Zoo is located in Ueno Park which is a large urban park that is also home to museums, amusement parks and other attractions for visitors.

The Zoo provides a home to several animals that live freely which is similar to the natural habitat. Below are the ten interesting facts about the Ueno Zoo.

1. Ueno Zoo is the Oldest Zoo in Japan

上野動物公園, Ueno Zoo（Ueno Zoological Gardens）.

The Tokyo Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in Japan. It started as a menagerie attached to the National Museum of Natural History.

The responsibility for the menagerie was handed over to a naturalist and civil servant known as Tanaka Yoshio in 1881.

Tanaka Yoshio oversaw the transition of the menagerie into a public Zoo.

Previously, the ground where it was situated belonged to the imperial family but was later on bestowed to the municipal government in 1924.

2. All Wild and Dangerous Animals in the Zoo were to be Killed in World War 2

上野動物公園, Ueno Zoo（Ueno Zoological Gardens).

During World War 2, there was tension about the livelihood of residents around the Ueno Zoo over the release of Dangerous Wild animals.

There were claims that bombs could hit the Zoo and led to the release of Wild and Dangerous Animals.

In August 1943, Shigeo Odachi who was the administrator of Tokyo made an order that all wild and dangerous animals in the zoo be killed.

There was a major hitch over this order as the staff who worked there wanted the animals to be evacuated, but the requests were turned down.

The wild and dangerous animals were killed by either poisoning, strangulation or being put on starvation diets.

3. Permanent Memorial for the Killed Animals Built-in Ueno Zoo

上野動物公園, Ueno Zoo（Ueno Zoological Gardens.

During world war two, several animals were killed over fears of them getting free and terrorising the residents of Tokyo.

A sombre memorial service was held for the animals that were killed in September 1943. During this service, two elephants were still in starvation and in the process of being killed.

After all the animals were killed and World War was over, a permanent memorial was built in 1975.

4. A US Army Officer Placed in Tiger Cage in Ueno Zoo for Public Viewing

World War two brought about several losses to Japan, especially in Tokyo. Several animals were killed and the cages remained without anything for the people to view.

After the March 1945 bombings in Tokyo, a United States Army Air Force navigator and bombardier named Ray Hap Halloran was captured by the Japanese army.

Instead of prosecuting him, he was placed on display while naked.

Ray Hap Halloran was played in an Ueno Zoo tiger cage where Japanese civilians could walk through and view the B-29 prisoner who had been captured.

5. The Ueno Zoo Home to More Than 3,000 Animals

上野動物公園, Ueno Zoo（Ueno Zoological Gardens）.

After World War two, the animals were being replaced in the Ueno Zoo which finally restored its previous beauty.

The Ueno Zoo is home to more than three thousand animals which represents over four hundred species of animals.

The animals in the Ueno zoo include; Sumatran Tiger, Western gorilla, Lions, Pandas, Elephants, Penguins and many more other animals.

6. The Zoo Provides Environment Similar to the Natural Habitat

Previously, the Ueno Zoo animals used to live in cages. The first lot of animals were killed before the new renovations that were made.

Ueno zoo provides the best environment similar to those natural habitats in the world making them live freely.

The old-fashioned cages of the past were replaced by the new habitats which include Gorilla Woods which were built well after two publicised mishaps that happened in 1999.

7. Ueno Zoo is the Largest Urban Park

The Ueno Zoo sits on 14.3 hectares of land in Tokyo, Japan. It has been rated as the largest Urban Park in Japan.

Other than being a Zoo of various animals, the Ueno Zoo is home to several museums, an amusement park and several other attraction sites that entertain the visitors.

The scenery in the Ueno Zoo has always attracted several visitors who frequent this place in various seasons.

8. A True Story Publication was Made from Events in Ueno Zoo

上野動物公園, Ueno Zoo（Ueno Zoological Gardens）.

A publisher known as Yukio Tsuchiya wrote a true story about one of the events that happened in Ueno Zoo.

In 1951, the writer published the book “Faithful Elephants” about the two elephants that were the last to be killed in World War Two.

The animals were poisoned after the request was made, but the two Indian elephants were not affected by the poison.

The two elephants were starved for several days until they finally died. This animal story has been sympathised with by many people who hear about it.

9. Ueno Zoo Monorail

上野動物公園, Ueno Zoo（Ueno Zoological Gardens）.

The Ueno Zoo has a 0.3-kilometre monorail that runs through it. It became the first monorail in Japan as well as the first zoo monorail in the world.

It began operating on 17th December 1957, got suspended between 2001 and 2002, and has since been suspended from 31st October 2019 with the claims of high costs of replacing old trains.

The monorail had rubber tires rather than the steel wheel. It had two stations and a single track.

10. Has to Major Exhibits of Giant Panda, Sumatran Tiger and Western Lowland Gorilla

Ueno zoo, Tokyo, Japan.

The Ueno Zoo boasts of several animals, but there are three that always catch the eyes of visitors.

There is always an exhibition of the Giant Panda, Sumatran tiger and Western lowland gorilla.

The giant panda is a bear species that is endemic to China. It has a bold black and white coat, as well as a rotund body.

The Sumatran tiger is usually found on Indonesian Island. It is listed among the critically endangered tiger species.

The Western lowland gorilla is also among the critically endangered subspecies of Western gorillas.

This is one of the best sites to visit for anyone across the world who loves watching wildlife in their natural habitat in a beautiful city.