North Safari Sapporo

PossumRoach

PossumRoach

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
North Safari Sapporo (NSS) is a roadside zoo located within the Sapporo city border. The zoo is home to species that are rare both in Japan and abroad. The zoo* reflects Japan’s problems of the lack of a federal zoo law/licensing act and facilities that focus on guest entertainment more than meeting the needs of the animals. The zoo also has a youtube channel where the keepers mainly offer the animals novelty food items for content. The zoo somehow didn’t receive mass scrutiny until the following happened a few weeks ago:

Over the last years NSS has been investing in building animal glamping experiences where guests could stay overnight with a cabin of their choice, which features many animals (kept in subpar conditions) to sleep with. One of these rooms was built in with a small tank featuring spotted/largha seals

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I don’t know why or how people didn’t object to this sooner but the outrage was huge. It reached the point which NSS acknowledged the situation. Unfortunately instead of admitting its wrongdoing the zoo said the following (screenshot was translated using google translate and the statement remains as of the creation of this post):

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During his time the owner of the zoo made his instagram account private. People were also asking why the city if Sapporo wasn’t doing anything since the city did have a “Zoo Law” for lack of a better term (albeit it might just be a guidance for running the Maruyama Zoo). But here’s the kicker: reports of the zoo losing seven seals in five years also have surfaced.

Today the zoo has issued the following statement:

Over the past few days, we have received opinions and inquiries on social media and elsewhere regarding the display and care of animals.

We take the various valuable opinions we have received seriously and intend to review any areas that need improvement.

We believe that it is important for our customers to enjoy the sight of healthy animals.
It is not our intention that anyone be offended.
We have immediately formulated an improvement plan and will begin working on it gradually starting this winter.

We deeply apologize for causing trouble on social media and for worrying all of our supporters.

We are also very sorry that false information has been spread and that nuisance behavior has occurred.

We will consult with the relevant authorities and take action on any excessive behavior.
Our staff and I will continue to work hard for the sake of our cute animals and to make all of our supporters happy.
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Personally this sounds like a non-apology to me. The statement doesn’t acknowledge the “false information” let alone do anything to refute it.


*= one can pull the no true Scottsman fallacy as much as they want, but a bad zoo is still a zoo, given that they are not predominantly a farm.
 

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snowleopard said:
Thanks for posting this fascinating information. I'd never heard of this Japanese zoo and the controversy surrounding the seals is shocking. It's actually great to see that the outrage from the public forced the zoo to make some changes.
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I wouldn’t hold my breath for a happy ending yet. NSS did not show their plans, nor did claim that they will stop doing what could be best described as bootleg version of Pairi Daiza’s overnight lodges. The public has continue being loud until Sapporo City, Hokkaido prefecture, or any responsible federal body (I believe the Ministry of Environment is responsible for animal handling businesses) does something. But even then, as seen with Horii Zoo, loopholes are definitely possible.

Even if NSS gives an upgrade to their seals (and, judging by the website thumbnail, penguins) I still have some qualms, mainly pertaining to the following:

1) The zoo will more likely to e-beg. E-begging wouldn’t be a problem if:

  • NSS was already improving the enclosures and wellbeing of their animals, without being prompted by public pressure.
  • The owner of the park, before making his instagram account private, shared pictures of fancy food or traveling, meaning that he chose luxury for himself over improving his zoo.
Since this is not the case, I do find E-begging from a private zoo that barely tries to improve the welfare of the animals problematic. Not to mention, it isn’t covid anymore so NSS shouldn’t have any issues making money.

2) The upgrades to the enclosures in concern will be mid at best. And the zoo will try to implement some sort of guest animal interaction to nickel and dime unaware animal lovers.

3) The zoo is likely to not improve the lives of other animals following any husbandry improvements to the species in concern.

To back points two and three, I will used the slight upgrades NSS’s lions received. Until they got this enclosure, the zoo’s three lions (Alex, Angie, and Riley) lived in concrete enclosures. The zoo raised the money for the exhibit through crowdfunding. After this expansion (which could barely hold three adults) the zoo started to breed their lions. Not only did the zoo used the cubs for petting events, it also made overnight accommodation for guests similar to the seal cabin.

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Source: right from the horse’s mouth

Since the expansion of the lion enclosure, the zoo hasn’t improved the living conditions of their other animals (nor have I come across any plans). Here is a twitter thread from a less than two months ago laying out NSS’s problems. These pictures could be depressive so heads up.

Too long; didn’t read: If or when NSS changes the conditions of the seals, the seals won’t be in great conditions, and the NSS will still try to prioritize guest experience over the seals welfare. The zoo probably won’t continue improving the other enclosures once the seals are dealt with.
 

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Toki said:
Good news! The Sapporo City government is finally forcing this zoo to be closed. It seems the facility was doing a number of illegal actions.

Let's hope the animals there will find a safe new home.

「日本一危険な動物園」、札幌市が「閉園命令」へ…制限区域に無許可で開設２０年
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If Google translate is accurate, the city will hold a hearing to hear the zoo’s side of things before issuing a demolition order. This means that NSS still has some time to operate.

I have a feeling that the owners of the zoo will either resist or find a new place to continue the business. I seen news about the closed Fuji Kachoen and Kamoso Kachoen being taken over by a “Hokkaido zoo”. I heard rumors that the Hokkaido zoo in question might be NSS, so this closure just sounds like a minor inconvenience in the end.
 
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PossumRoach said:
If Google translate is accurate, the city will hold a hearing to hear the zoo’s side of things before issuing a demolition order. This means that NSS still has some time to operate.

I have a feeling that the owners of the zoo will either resist or find a new place to continue the business. I seen news about the closed Fuji Kachoen and Kamoso Kachoen being taken over by a “Hokkaido zoo”. I heard rumors that the Hokkaido zoo in question might be NSS, so this closure just sounds like a minor inconvenience in the end.
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Yes, you are right. The government will be having a place for discussion, but seems like this will be more focused on how and when the zoo is going to close.

And yes, Fuji Kachoen recently closed due to owning company going bankrupt, and looks like a "zoo in Hokkaido" bought it. Not sure if it is NSS, but it is a possibility, since there aren't many private zoos in Hokkaido.
 
Toki said:
Yes, you are right. The government will be having a place for discussion, but seems like this will be more focused on how and when the zoo is going to close.

And yes, Fuji Kachoen recently closed due to owning company going bankrupt, and looks like a "zoo in Hokkaido" bought it. Not sure if it is NSS, but it is a possibility, since there aren't many private zoos in Hokkaido.
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I see…

I also found out that NSS’s website is down. I wonder if it’s a result of all the commotion going on right now.

On another note, since NSS is not getting closed over animal keeping permits like Horii zoo did, does that mean that they could still open a new zoo under the ownership of Success Tourism? Or will Success Tourism and the owner of the company and zoo be prohibited from building new buildings due to previously ignoring the law?
 
NSS has responded (translation provided by Google translate)

We would like to provide our current comment regarding the content reported in some media on February 1st.

Our zoo has obtained all the necessary permits for animal handling, accommodation, and food and beverage businesses.

An article that could lead to the misunderstanding that Sapporo City has issued a "closure order" to our nursery school.

I am very confused about this issue.

Regarding matters related to the City Planning Act, the relevant department of Sapporo City and a specialized consultant have been in touch for some time.

We are currently discussing improvement plans with Tanto and are taking the issue seriously.

The next visit date for this case has also been decided, and the company is ignoring the administration, refusing to comply with the city's repeated instructions.

It is extremely regrettable that reports like this are being published.

Regarding the matters currently being discussed and adjusted with the relevant department of Sapporo City and the discrepancies between the reported content and the facts,

We will check with the city again next week and will continue to take appropriate action.

Success Tourism Ltd.
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Maybe it’s lost in translation, but I am surprised that Success Tourism is not using threat through court towards the news site, whose article it calls a “misunderstanding”, unlike last time when people called out the seal lodge.
 
The zoo has put up another statement on its website (translation from google translate):

We have responded to inquiries from various media outlets, and although some of the information has already been reported, we would like to provide you with an update at this stage.

Of the five directional signs installed along the national highway, four have already been removed.
The remaining sign and its frame will be removed by mid-February.

Regarding the facilities and buildings installed within North Safari Sapporo, we are currently discussing removal plans with the Sapporo City Development Guidance Division, and will begin removing what can be removed from the middle of this month, with the intention of bringing the facility into compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

With the protection of the animals' lives and a healthy environment as our number one priority, we are currently considering potential locations for the animals, including temporary relocation. One potential location has been reported in the media, and we are also considering land nearby the current facility, as well as other locations, while considering whether or not we can obtain permission to relocate the animals.

In addition, after re-checking internally regarding our response to relevant laws and regulations, we found that when we first opened (September 2018), we were operating glamping under the understanding that it was a camping business.
It was later pointed out that we needed to file a notification as an accommodation business, and we obtained a license for the accommodation business in November 2019.
Due to a lack of knowledge and a misinterpretation of the licenses required for glamping, we ended up operating for a certain period of time without the necessary licenses, for which we deeply regret and apologize. We will continue to thoroughly examine any other matters that need to be addressed appropriately and intend to make all corrections.

In addition, we plan to submit a relocation and removal plan to the Development Guidance Division in mid-February.

We deeply regret that our lack of knowledge and poor thinking about business led to such a delay in obtaining permission. We will continue to take a policy that puts the animals and staff first.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may have caused. We
will continue to discuss with the relevant authorities and take measures to comply with the law.

[To media companies]

Although this overlaps with the above, we plan to submit a removal plan to the Development Guidance Division in mid-February.
After that, we will report to the media and respond accordingly based on the results of our discussions.

February 7, 2025

Success Tourism Ltd.
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This statement follows the fact that the media also has reported that NSS has, in addition to the illegal structures within the park, has also illegally installed signboards by national highways. It was also found out that the management has obtained more land (also in urbanization control zone) and has plans to build an event space on it despite the objections of locals.

I also have been seeing news about many tourism agencies and shows/guides drop NSS from their promotions.
 
Successful Tourism has finally submitted the demolition plan to the city of Sapporo.
無許可建築物で問題となっているノースサファリサッポロ　運営会社が撤去の計画書を札幌市に提出

Another news article has confirmed that Success has obtained management rights of Fuji Kachoen (article is paywalled)
「日本一危険な動物園」ノースサファリが静岡進出？　「富士花鳥園」取得・再オープン検討に地元は…：東京新聞デジタル

There are finally citations of violations of animal management regulations. The park has kept a moon bear, cobras (Egyptian and forest), and burmese pythons.
〈独自〉【新たにノースサファリの無許可判明】クマやコブラなどの危険動物が一時“無許可”状態に…札幌市が『10回以上指導』＿建物の撤去計画は提出 北海道（北海道ニュースUHB） - Yahoo!ニュース (link doesn’t work in EU countries)
 
PossumRoach said:
Succes Tourism has finally submitted the demolition plan to the city of Sapporo.
無許可建築物で問題となっているノースサファリサッポロ　運営会社が撤去の計画書を札幌市に提出
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Turns out the plan is a nothing burger. Success Tourism plans to remove all buildings by 2029. However, the document is only five pages long consisting of buildings that are designated for removal, without any specific plan of removal process nor the care of the animal inhabitants during the demolition.

PossumRoach said:
There are finally citations of violations of animal management regulations. The park has kept a moon bear, cobras (Egyptian and forest), and burmese pythons.
〈独自〉【新たにノースサファリの無許可判明】クマやコブラなどの危険動物が一時“無許可”状態に…札幌市が『10回以上指導』＿建物の撤去計画は提出 北海道（北海道ニュースUHB） - Yahoo!ニュース
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More violations of animal care and management have been revealed through inspection reports and visitor anecdotes. Violations include:

  • A duck exhibited with an open wound
  • A fox with poor coat
  • Owls tied without access to water
  • Lions taken o
  • (Per a visitor) a bear cub getting hit
Link to the news mentioning both the demolition plan and animal abuse.
ノースサファリサッポロの撤去計画書に新たな事実が…　さらに動物の飼育について市の指導内容明らかに

EDIT: NSS published two statements on its website.

The first one is, as expected, very defensive, trues to “correct” and explain the seal deaths, and the unpermitted holding of the bear and cobras. NSS also asks/demands that journalist don’t use “misleading language and speculation”, interview guests and take footage within the zoo.

The second statement is thanking its supporters.
 
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Reports of NSS contacting the Fujinomiya City government, where the now-closed Fuji Kachouen is brought up by the media. It is predicted that the smaller species that are not regulated as dangerous/specific animals to the garden. The government of Fujinomiya is showing hesitation due to Success Tourism’s history of breaching the law, one official even said that it would be difficult to bring lions there. NSS still hasn’t disclosed what will be done to the animals, especially those that are large and dangerous.

札幌のノースサファリ、「富士花鳥園」で小型動物を飼育する意向…静岡県富士宮市に伝える（読売新聞オンライン） - Yahoo!ニュース

静岡・富士宮市のテーマパーク跡地に「ノースサファリ」運営会社が支店設置…市長、打診認め「困った話」（読売新聞オンライン） - Yahoo!ニュース
 
In an announcement posted on the 26th this month, NSS has claimed that the relocation of the animals is being carried out. However, they are not disclosing the destinations of the animals. Sapporo city is still waiting to receive the plan and if it is not submitted to them by the end of the month, officials will be going to the park themselves to investigate.
 
As if the end of last year NSS had around 640 individual animals and as of today 210 animals have been relocated, and 72 more will be relocated by the time NSS closes. There is, however, no information about what will be done to 335 animals other than a verbal plan that these animals are planned to be given away by the end of next year. Also unsurprisingly, the park has failed to answer specific questions from the city regarding the transfer and sale reports of the animals that are already given away.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20250331/7000074429.html

Personal comment: I think the city is playing too nice. I think they should go “good cop bad cop” on this park and Hoshino Kazuo.
 
Four JAZA zoos (Obihiro, Asahiyama, Maruyama, and Kushiro) were asked if NSS ever approached them to give away animals. Kushiro did not answer and the other three said that they were not approached.

【現地ルポ】９月末までに閉園…ノースサファリサッポロ「違法営業で受け入れ先不透明な」動物たち（FRIDAY） - Yahoo!ニュース

It has also been revealed that NSS has decided to terminate its lease with Fujinomiya city and cancelled the plan to move there despite (from what I can understand from the machine translation) already having animals transferred to the grounds of Fuji Kachouen. This is following the city’s hesitation towards accepting a company with a history of illegal activities.

ノースサファリ 静岡への動物移動を断念か 富士花鳥園との契約解消
 
PossumRoach said:
Four JAZA zoos (Obihiro, Asahiyama, Maruyama, and Kushiro) were asked if NSS ever approached them to give away animals. Kushiro did not answer and the other three said that they were not approached.

【現地ルポ】９月末までに閉園…ノースサファリサッポロ「違法営業で受け入れ先不透明な」動物たち（FRIDAY） - Yahoo!ニュース

It has also been revealed that NSS has decided to terminate its lease with Fujinomiya city and cancelled the plan to move there despite (from what I can understand from the machine translation) already having animals transferred to the grounds of Fuji Kachouen. This is following the city’s hesitation towards accepting a company with a history of illegal activities.

ノースサファリ 静岡への動物移動を断念か 富士花鳥園との契約解消
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It seems that NSS has not yet transferred animals into Fuji Kachoen.

Instead, they transferred out all the animals that were formerly kept at the place to unknown location.
 
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