Inokashira Park Zoo Inokashira Park Zoo - Tokyo

What a mess...

A real shame. This park has one of the best squirrel facilities I've ever seen.

I was almost in tears when I heard this. The keepers should have known better than to use chemicals. I just remember all the squirrels, running around fighting and chasing each other for food. I will miss them.:(:(:(Rest in Peace...
 
Has anyone visited recently who can confirm the absence or presence of raccoon dogs? They were signed as off exhibit in January of this year per Chlidonais’s species list thread, but they were still listed on the map screenshotted in that same thread. Now I’m looking at the official zoo map, and they are no longer listed.

Them potentially being gone isn’t necessarily the worst news for me personally since I will also be visiting Zoorasia and Tama, but this was the only zoo that I thought had them that my wife will be accompanying me to, and we were hoping she could see them as well.
 
Has anyone visited recently who can confirm the absence or presence of raccoon dogs? They were signed as off exhibit in January of this year per Chlidonais’s species list thread, but they were still listed on the map screenshotted in that same thread. Now I’m looking at the official zoo map, and they are no longer listed.

Them potentially being gone isn’t necessarily the worst news for me personally since I will also be visiting Zoorasia and Tama, but this was the only zoo that I thought had them that my wife will be accompanying me to, and we were hoping she could see them as well.
If it is of help, it is possible (not guaranteed obviously, but there's a good chance) of seeing wild ones at Kasai Rinkai park, which is also where the Tokyo Sea Life is. The park is really nice to wander around in, even if not visiting the Aquarium, so your wife would probably like it.

This is my post from February this year:
Zoochat Big Year 2025
 
If it is of help, it is possible (not guaranteed obviously, but there's a good chance) of seeing wild ones at Kasai Rinkai park, which is also where the Tokyo Sea Life is. The park is really nice to wander around in, even if not visiting the Aquarium, so your wife would probably like it.

This is my post from February this year:
Zoochat Big Year 2025
Oh, this is actually incredibly helpful. Seeing a wild tanuki has been basically my #1 hope for this trip, but it felt like a total shot in the dark since basically everywhere I researched left it at “cross your fingers and keep your eyes peeled” without offering any potential hot spots. This park isn’t anywhere near where we had plans, but knowing somewhere with potentially above average odds of spotting one is super tempting. I think we might try and work it in.

Edit: The park is actually super close to Akihabara, where we do plan to spend a day. We're absolutely going looking for tanuki that morning.
 
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Oh, this is actually incredibly helpful. Seeing a wild tanuki has been basically my #1 hope for this trip, but it felt like a total shot in the dark since basically everywhere I researched left it at “cross your fingers and keep your eyes peeled” without offering any potential hot spots. This park isn’t anywhere near where we had plans, but knowing somewhere with potentially above average odds of spotting one is super tempting. I think we might try and work it in.

Edit: The park is actually super close to Akihabara, where we do plan to spend a day. We're absolutely going looking for tanuki that morning.
If you look at a Google map of the park, the area where the Raccoon Dogs can be seen is the right end where the Ueno and Shitano ponds are. So when you leave the train station you walk straight ahead along the pedestrian road marked as "6 Chome" for a short way until you reach a path going off to your left which curves around below that semi-circular parking lot. Follow that path until you reach the path which goes down between the two ponds. There are two bird hides along here which are supposed to be good for the dogs, but mine was further along past the bird watching centre, right by the T-junction beside the Sea Life (the entrance to the Sea Life is on the other side of the building, FYI).
 
Update for the Japanese Birds exhibit:

(Cages)
- Japanese Quail, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Chinese Bamboo Partridge
- Narcissus Flycatcher, Japanese Bush Warbler, Japanese White Eye, Japanese Quail
- Red Headed Woodpigeon
- Copper Pheasant, Japanese Quail

(Large enclosure)
Green Pheasant, Japanese Woodpigeon, Azure Winged Magpie, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Bush Warbler, Varied Tit, Meadow Bunting
 
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