Tennōji Zoo Osaka Zoo News

First of all, I must correct my previous comment. I remembered the collection list (see below) wrong. Tennoji Zoo do intend to reintroduce elephants. That is why the exhibit stays empty.

I don’t think my explanation on the renovation plans would be satisfactory, because I am not sure if I remember the plans correctly. I must first search for the document and read through it. The document was an official one; I should be able to reach it.

Probably this was the initial announcement of their basic concepts. The PDFs:
“Basic Concepts of the Tennoji Zoo”
“RM 1: Consensus of the Zoo-friends’ Opinions”
“RM 2: Animal-collection Chart”
天王寺動物園基本構想を策定しました

A part of the first two documents is written in Kansai (Osaka) dialect. You might not get the expected translation results even if you use the best machine-translating method. I’ll read through the documents and pick up what’s important. The animal-collection chart is not too difficult to understand. This might help you:
double circle: AA, excellent
circle: A, good
triangle: B, average
X: C, poor

Here’s the map I got at the zoo in December 2020. upload_2021-3-6_18-44-49.jpeg

You can see where the Elephant house is. The large area is where the elephants used to be exhibited. Maybe you can catch a glimpse of what’s inside the Elephant house now here.
動物園の存続条件を考える～天王寺動物園が伝えたいこと～

The reason why the zoo’s concepts are not acceptable to Osakans is because most of them prefer to see animals “as close as they can”. Quantity before quality. Osakans are usually amiable, very talkative and frank. They admire their “cutest” animals in a distinctive way.

Aaku (*) the Koala’s farewell party
* ”Burke”, at Longleat Safari Park

The Director had to face strong protests from enthusiastic fans of the Koala after the farewell party.
 

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Visitors should be reminded that modern zoo architecture demands exhibits are naturalistic and do complement the wild animal species habitat type and allow the animal friendly / enriched exhibit.

No disrespect: A good number of zoos as yet have to improve their dated sterile and bare concrete pits for exhibits. I assume the zoo director was new school?
 
I have heard of visitors complain about zoo management’s decisions in Japan before. Didn’t the Tokyo Zoological Society have a plan to avoid “duplications” (having the same kind if animal in 2 TZS zoos) within its collections and people objected that Ueno zoo not having lions?

Also, I am very happy of your return @FrancoiseLangur . I am sure you will be able to explain things happening in Japan better than I can.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Visitors should be reminded that modern zoo architecture demands exhibits are naturalistic and do complement the wild animal species habitat type and allow the animal friendly / enriched exhibit.

No disrespect: A good number of zoos as yet have to improve their dated sterile and bare concrete pits for exhibits. I assume the zoo director was new school?
Click to expand...

Yes. Probably too new.

The current Director had no professional experiences with zoos until he was 53. He used to be a high-ranking official in the Science and Technology Agency. He is from Osaka, but he had never worked there. Living in Tokyo, he knew the zoo he frequently visited as a child was quite out of date. He abandoned his well-paid position and started his career as a zoo keeper at Tennoji. It only took him two years to find himself being pushed up to his current post.

I remember his words in an interview with him: “I want our primates to live in houses with gardens, not tenements. By reducing the number of species we keep, we should be able to turn that into reality.”

That was his aim.
 
PossumRoach said:
I have heard of visitors complain about zoo management’s decisions in Japan before. Didn’t the Tokyo Zoological Society have a plan to avoid “duplications” (having the same kind if animal in 2 TZS zoos) within its collections and people objected that Ueno zoo not having lions?

Also, I am very happy of your return @FrancoiseLangur . I am sure you will be able to explain things happening in Japan better than I can.
Click to expand...

Thanks @PossumRoach. I was busy for personal reasons. Really glad to be back!

Ueno Zoo’s problems are a bit complicated. I haven’t heard of anyone complaining about the zoo’s decision not to reintroduce lions myself, but the Society may have received such complaints. Some may have considered that the “leader of the zoos of Japan” should at least have the three most attractive animals (ie elephant, giraffe and lion). It must have been easy for Ueno to introduce African lions, but that would make themselves look shameless (because the last lion there was Asiatic).

Anyway, they have an elephant calf now. Many are waiting for the reopening of the zoo. They might even have an new Giant panda cub soon.

TZPS’s budget is huge—I’ve never seen a rusty cage at Ueno. The bars are always shiny. Very strange... is that what they should do?
 
FrancoiseLangur said:
Yes. Probably too new.

The current Director had no professional experiences with zoos until he was 53. He used to be a high-ranking official in the Science and Technology Agency. He is from Osaka, but he had never worked there. Living in Tokyo, he knew the zoo he frequently visited as a child was quite out of date. He abandoned his well-paid position and started his career as a zoo keeper at Tennoji. It only took him two years to find himself being pushed up to his current post.

I remember his words in an interview with him: “I want our primates to live in houses with gardens, not tenements. By reducing the number of species we keep, we should be able to turn that into reality.”

That was his aim.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a science man who would know how to modernise a zoo properly to me. Am I correct here?

What is the story on the new director who was groomed at Maruyama - Sapporo, any information on how he will change the zoo.
 
FrancoiseLangur said:
I remember his words in an interview with him: “I want our primates to live in houses with gardens, not tenements. By reducing the number of species we keep, we should be able to turn that into reality.”

That was his aim.
Click to expand...

So how well did he do with trying to achieve that aim ?

Were there institutional obstacles ?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
That sounds like a science man who would know how to modernise a zoo properly to me. Am I correct here?

What is the story on the new director who was groomed at Maruyama - Sapporo, any information on how he will change the zoo.
Click to expand...

Although the zoo will become under the direct control of the state from April this year, he will most likely have to follow the Tennoji Zoo "101" Plans officially announced by the city of Osaka.

『天王寺動物園101計画』について

The new director is not 'unusual' like the current one, but a former vet/keeper at a zoo also experienced in administrative work would make him well-qualified for the position. He has not made any official comments on renovation plans etc so far.
 
Is the zoo, apart from the dedicated zoo director, worth a visit? From what I've seen online so far, I see little to get me there.
 
Batto said:
Is the zoo, apart from the dedicated zoo director, worth a visit? From what I've seen online so far, I see little to get me there.
Click to expand...
For a Japanese zoo, yes. For a western zoo it is not interesting, especially for a selective person who has already seen a lot in his lifetime.
 
StoppableSan said:
So... any news on the front of getting new elephants?
Click to expand...

I haven't heard anything, though their seems to be several petitions against the zoo receiving new elephants. I wouldn't be surprised if their exhibit is repurposed for a new species long term (it currently holds two roosters).

In other news:

A giraffe calf was born April 26:

1st giraffe born in 2 yrs at Osaka zoo after parents' earlier 2 offspring soon died - The Mainichi

Koya and Harukasu had a male baby in May 2018, he died a day after birth. In April 2020, a female calf was born between them, but she also passed away a week later. The latest baby is their third offspring.
 
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