Okinawa Zoo and Museum: review and species list, 17 April 2025

[Chlidonias]

Okinawa Zoo and Museum (Okinawa, Japan):
Date of visit: 17 April 2025


The Okinawa Zoo is situated in the island's main city of Naha, although it is quite a way north of the city centre. It takes about an hour by bus to the Nakanomachi bus stop, followed by ten or fifteen minutes walking through some narrow streets. The entry fee is 1000 Yen.

It is a fairly big site, but the animals are all on the left side of the lake which is in the middle of the grounds. The top part, by the main entry gate, is taken up with play areas, food courts, and the Wonder Museum. I had a quick run through the museum before I left - it is aimed at kids and there are no animals in there.

The lake itself had signage for wild birds which occur there, and although the map has symbols for a swan and a pelican there were no captive birds. I don't know if the symbols are just a creative choice, or if there are normally birds such as pelicans there and they are off-display for bird flu reasons.

The map looks pretty straightforward but in practice some back-tracking is required to see everything because several of the areas have quite convoluted pathways - one area is even named "Satoyama Labyrinth"!

The names given to the separate zones within the zoo are either descriptive or totally unenlightening:

The first area is "Ryukyu Archipelago" which displays native (or introduced) species of the island chain as well as local domestic breeds, and for some reason the monkeys are all housed here as well.

The next zone is given the all-encompassing name of "Animal Plaza" on the English pamphlet map, with further divisions into "Satoyama Labyrinth" which is mostly bears and small mammals; and "Herbivore's Ashibina" for megafauna like giraffes and hippos.

The "Unexplored Areas of Hunters" is next, which starts with a temple-themed reptile house and then has a maze-like multi-level outdoors area for Giant Anteaters, Jaguar, and various crocodilians and turtles.

The final zone is "Lion Field" which is pretty self-explanatory, although there is no field.

There is also a stretch of path just above "Lion Field" which was blocked for construction work on my visit. On the map the kangaroos and emus are marked here - these were instead being displayed by the giraffes.


The Okinawa Zoo is one of those Japanese zoos which is a strange mix of extremely good exhibits and absolutely awful ones. The "Ryukyu Archipelago" zone starts off with a row of very large aviaries - two levels high - and an excellent set of terrariums for ectotherms, but then straight afterwards is a row of horrendous box-like concrete cages for a Ryukyu Wild Pig, Japanese Raccoon Dog, and a variety of primates. And then almost opposite those monkey cages is a great big cage for Yakushima Macaques which is large enough to have a whole separate visitor tunnel running through the middle of it. The juxtaposition of the good-then-awful is so bizarre.

However, on the whole, the enclosures at the zoo are not terrible. The worst, after the aforementioned monkey cages, are the tiny Giant Anteater pens and the very small Hippo pen. Other than that I'd say most enclosures are fairly small but adequate.


Photos can currently be seen in the Japan Other gallery. Use the left arrow from this photo to move through them: Okinawa Zoo pamphlet map - ZooChat


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MAMMALS:

Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus

Giant Anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla

Ryukyu Flying Fox Pteropus dasymallus inopinatus

Pigmy Slow Loris Nycticebus pygmaeus
Geoffroy's Spider Monkey Ateles geoffroyi
Tufted Capuchin Cebus apella
Common Squirrel Monkey Saimiri sciureus
Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx
Yakushima Macaque Macaca fuscata yakui
Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes

Asian Elephant Elephas maximus

domestic Horse (Yonaguni and Cheju Ponies)

domestic Cow (Kuchinshima Cattle)
domestic Goat (Shima Hijya Goat)
domestic Sheep (Corriedale)
domestic Pig (Shima Uwa Pig)
Ryukyu Wild Pig Sus scrofa riukiuanus
Common Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius
Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis
Honshu Sika Deer Cervus nippon aplodontus
Taiwan Sika Deer Cervus nippon taiouanus

African Lion Panthera leo (white and regular)
Jaguar Panthera onca
Tsushima Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura
domestic Dog (Ryukyu Dog) (seen, but sleeping back in the shelter so not a good view at all)
Japanese Red Fox Vulpes vulpes japonicus (did not see)
Japanese Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes viverrinus
Japanese Black Bear Ursus thibetanus japonicus
Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus
Japanese Badger Meles anakuma
Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra
Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Japanese Squirrel Sciurus lis
domestic Guinea Pig
Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris


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BIRDS:

Ostrich Struthio camelus
Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae

Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis

Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor

Great Egret Egretta alba
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Japanese Night Heron Gorsachius goisagi
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

domestic Chicken

Japanese Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos japonica
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus
Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela perplexus

Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena

Japanese Wood Pigeon Columba janthina janthina
Ryukyu Green Pigeon Treron permagnus permagnus (or Treron formosae permagnus depending on whether one splits it or not)


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ECTOTHERMS:


REPTILES:

False Gharial Tomistoma schlegelii
American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis
Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus

African Spurred Tortoise Centrochelys sulcata
Aldabra Giant Tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea
Alligator Snapping Turtle Macrochelys temminckii
Big-headed Turtle Platysternon megacephalum
Yellow-margined Box Turtle Cuora flavomarginata
Bourret's Box Turtle Cuora bourreti (seen but mostly hidden under bark)
Amboina Box Turtle Cuora amboinensis
Ryukyu Black-breasted Leaf Turtle Geoemyda japonica
Reeves' Turtle Mauremys reevesii
Japanese Pond Turtle Mauremys japonica
Yellow Pond Turtle Mauremys mutica (I think both M. mutica mutica and M. mutica kami)
Spotted Pond Turtle Geochlemys hamiltoni
Giant Asian Pond Turtle Heosemys grandis
Three-toed Box Turtle Terrapene carolina triunguis
Chinese Softshell Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis

Okinawa Tree Lizard Diploderma (Japalura) polygonotum polygonotum (did not see)
Green Grass Lizard Takydromus smaragdinus
Kishinoue's Giant Skink Plestiodon kishinouyei (seen but mostly hidden inside a pipe)
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Ctenosaura similis
Yellow-headed Water Monitor Varanus cumingi

Ball Python Python regius
Burmese Python Python bivittatus
Taiwan Beauty Snake Elaphe taeniura friesi
Japanese Rat Snake Elaphe climacophora
Yonaguni Keeled Rat Snake Elaphe carinata yonaguniensis
Sakishima Odd-toothed Snake Lycodon rufozonatus walli
Ryukyu Odd-toothed Snake Lycodon semicarinatus
Habu Protobothrops flavoviridis


AMPHIBIANS:

Miyako Toad Bufo gargarizans miyakonis
Okinawa Tip-nosed Frog Odorrana narina

Anderson's Crocodile Newt Echinotriton andersoni
Okinawa Sword-tailed Newt Cynops ensicauda popei
Three-toed Amphiuma Amphiuma tridactylum


FISH:

Giant Mottled Eel Anguilla marmorata
Ryukyu Swamp Eel Monopterus sp.
Paradise Fish Macropodus opercularis
Silver Crucian Carp (labelled with a scientific name of just Carassius sp.)
Yoshinoburi Goby Rhinogobius flumineus (labelled as Rhinogobius brunneus, from which it was split)
Japanese Killifish Oryzias latipes


INVERTEBRATES:

River Prawn Macrobrachium lar

 

[Chlidonias]

ZOO WALK-THROUGH:


"Ryukyu Archipelago"

If entering through the main gate of the zoo (which you would do if arriving by bus), then the first area you visit - by turning right after coming into the zoo - is "Ryukyu Archipelago" which displays native (or introduced) species of the island chain, as well as local domestic breeds. For some reason the monkeys are all housed here as well.

The first section of this zone is subtitled as "Ark Okimaru" on the English pamphlet map. This is a double row of large and tall aviaries with a raised visitor walkway between them. The first aviary has turtles - Yellow-margined Box Turtles and Giant Asian Pond Turtles (I did not see the latter in here, but they are also housed elsewhere in the zoo). The other aviaries house Grey-faced Buzzard; Crested Serpent-Eagle (two aviaries); Ryukyu Flying Fox and Japanese Wood Pigeon; Black-faced Spoonbill; and a mixed waterbird aviary of individual (rescue birds, I think) Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, and Whimbrel.

Also here is a very nice set of terrariums and aquariums for native and invasive ectotherms.

Chinese Softshell Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis
Okinawa Tree Lizard Diploderma (Japalura) polygonotum polygonotum (did not see)
Green Grass Lizard Takydromus smaragdinus
Sakishima Odd-toothed Snake Lycodon rufozonatus walli

Miyako Toad Bufo gargarizans miyakonis
Okinawa Tip-nosed Frog Odorrana narina
Anderson's Crocodile Newt Echinotriton andersoni
Okinawa Sword-tailed Newt Cynops ensicauda popei

Giant Mottled Eel Anguilla marmorata
Ryukyu Swamp Eel Monopterus sp.
Paradise Fish Macropodus opercularis
Silver Crucian Carp (labelled with a scientific name of just Carassius sp.)
Yoshinoburi Goby Rhinogobius flumineus (labelled as Rhinogobius brunneus, from which it was split)
Japanese Killifish Oryzias latipes

River Prawn Macrobrachium lar


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Directly after this excellent start is a disastrous row of small concrete cages for a Ryukyu Wild Pig, Japanese Raccoon Dog, and a variety of primates (Mandrill, Tufted Capuchin, Geoffroy's Spider Monkey, Common Squirrel Monkey, and Pigmy Slow Loris).

But almost opposite those terrible monkey cages is a great big cage for Yakushima Macaques which is large enough to have a whole separate visitor tunnel running through the middle of it.

A small yard for a pair of Taiwan Sika Deer is also in this area.

On the path leading down to the domestic animals are a couple of aviaries, one for Collared Scops Owl and the other for Japanese Night Heron and Ryukyu Green Pigeon.

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The "Livestock Animal Area" and "Umanchu Hiroba (Horse Park)" - as they are labelled on the English pamphlet map - display local domestic breeds from the Ryukyu Islands:

Shima Uwa Pig
Shima Hijya Goat
domestic Chicken
Ryukyu Dog (seen, but sleeping back in the shelter so not a good view at all)
Yonaguni Pony
Cheju Pony
Kuchinshima Cattle

 

[Chlidonias]

"Animal Plaza"

The next zone is given the all-encompassing name of "Animal Plaza" on the English pamphlet map, with further divisions into "Satoyama Labyrinth" which is mostly bears and small mammals; and "Herbivore's Ashibina" for megafauna like giraffes and hippos.


"Satoyama Labyrinth"

This area starts with either a winding path or a raised (also winding) walkway, depending on which you choose to take. While twisting and needing a little doubling-back, it isn't as confusing as the pathways in the "Unexplored Areas of Hunters" further into the zoo.

The top part of this area is for native small Carnivores - Tsushima Leopard Cat, Japanese Badger, Japanese Red Fox, and Japanese Raccoon Dog - in ground-level cages which aren't particularly large but aren't too small either. Their living spaces are extended a little by having sunken tunnels running across the visitor path (topped with either glass or mesh) to small box-like enclosures on the other side.

A tall walk-through "aviary" here for Japanese Squirrels connects the preceding area with the raised walkways, although it was closed on my visit.

The raised walkway coils through the bear enclosures (for Japanese Black Bear and Sun Bear) which are two levels high - not a large area of floor space, but a lot of vertical space. There are two Sun Bear enclosures, one being the "pit" style one viewed from the walkway, and the other being a double cage with an overhead tunnel connection. The Japanese Black Bear enclosure can be viewed from three levels (ground, middle, and overhead).

Japanese Black Bear enclosure

Sun Bear enclosure

Sun Bear enclosure


From the bears and small carnivores the path weaves downhill, past Honshu Sika Deer on an awkwardly-steep concrete hill and a "combined" Red-crowned Crane and Eurasian Otter enclosure (i.e. an aviary for the cranes with a small enclosure behind it for the otters which has a view into the aviary), and comes to a small petting zoo area (bantams, African Spurred Tortoise, Guinea Pigs, Corriedale Sheep, and Capybara) with a pair of Common Hippos nearby in a small yard, a very tall Japanese Golden Eagle aviary, and a fairly large Chimpanzee cage.

Eurasian Otter enclosure with viewing through to the Red-crowned Cranes.

Japanese Golden Eagle aviary

Chimpanzee cage

Common Hippopotamus enclosure


"Herbivore's Ashibina"

This is the lower section of the "Animal Plaza" zone, although there's really no clear divide between the "Satoyama Labyrinth" and the "Herbivore's Ashibina" zones (e.g. the hippos are noted in the text on the map as being part of the latter but are situated by the petting zoo area).

The Giraffe yard and Asian Elephant yard are the two main components here. The Giraffe yard has an Ostrich pen fenced off at one end, and currently an Emu fenced in on the side. At the other end is a mixed yard for Aldabra Giant Tortoise and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, probably a temporary mix because the area of the map marked for kangaroo and emu had construction work taking place. It honestly looks like a bit of a shambles.

Giraffe yard with Ostrich pen in foreground

Giraffe yard with Aldabra Giant Tortoises and Eastern Grey Kangaroos in foreground. Visible in the background are the Chimpanzee cage (left) and Japanese Golden Eagle aviary (right)

 

[Chlidonias]

"Unexplored Areas of Hunters"

The "Unexplored Areas of Hunters" is next. It starts out with a temple-themed reptile house - directly opposite the Elephant yard - and then has a maze-like multi-level outdoors area for Giant Anteaters, Jaguar, and various crocodilians and turtles.

The first exhibit inside the "temple" is an Alligator Snapping Turtle, followed by two enclosures for Small-clawed Otters. I feel like these used to house something like pythons or crocodiles rather than otters, and they were poor excuses for otter enclosures.

Small-clawed Otter enclosure (note the sunlight - it is open to the sky, rather than being entirely indoors)


A corridor of wall-set reptile tanks follows. These ranged from adequate to too-small, mostly dependent on the size of the inhabitant rather than the tank itself - the amphiuma, for example, was much too large for the tank it was in. Some shuffling of animals between tanks could solve some of these issues.

Species in these tanks:

Big-headed Turtle Platysternon megacephalum
Yellow-margined Box Turtle Cuora flavomarginata
Bourret's Box Turtle Cuora bourreti (seen but mostly hidden under bark)
Ryukyu Black-breasted Leaf Turtle Geoemyda japonica
Yellow Pond Turtle Mauremys mutica
Spotted Pond Turtle Geochlemys hamiltoni

Kishinoue's Giant Skink Plestiodon kishinouyei (seen but mostly hidden inside a pipe)
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Ctenosaura similis
Yellow-headed Water Monitor Varanus cumingi

Ball Python Python regius
Burmese Python Python bivittatus
Taiwan Beauty Snake Elaphe taeniura friesi
Japanese Rat Snake Elaphe climacophora
Yonaguni Keeled Rat Snake Elaphe carinata yonaguniensis
Ryukyu Odd-toothed Snake Lycodon semicarinatus
Habu Protobothrops flavoviridis

Three-toed Amphiuma Amphiuma tridactylum


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The outside area is a confusing jumble of paths and walkways. At some points you are looking down into the enclosures you saw from inside the "temple" (e.g. the Alligator Snapping Turtle) which are actually open to the sky.

In this photo, the sail-like structures at the front are shades for the Giant Anteater pens (which are extremely small!). Alongside the pathway on the right are turtle enclosures, and there are more Giant Anteater pens at the far end (around the corner). To the left of the shades are pools for crocodilians. The blue-framed cage roof on the left of the raised walkway is the Jaguar cages, which are really badly-designed for viewing and pretty much impossible to photograph.


Exiting the corridor of reptile tanks the first enclosures you come to are two tiny pens for Giant Anteaters, the animals (one in each pen) continuously looping in circles around the perimeters of their space.

The photo shows the entire enclosure space!


A row of rectangular low-walled pens for turtles leads along the path where you come to two more equally-if-not-more-so tiny pens for more Giant Anteaters. The turtles in these enclosures were Reeves' Turtle, Japanese Pond Turtle, Amboina Box Turtle, Giant Asian Pond Turtle, and Three-toed Box Turtle. The turtle pens can be seen in the overview photo above.

False Gharial, American Alligator, and Spectacled Caiman have outdoor enclosures here (Okinawa is a tropical island).

False Gharial enclosure

The Jaguar cages are viewed from several points, but nowhere can you get a good photo of what the cages actually look like because of the weird viewing angles.

 

[Chlidonias]

"Lion Field"

The final zone is "Lion Field" which is a pretty self-explanatory name, although there is no field.

Like the bear enclosures, a very tall enclosure although in this case it is separated in two. This upper part is one enclosure for tawny lions - there is one asleep on top of the rock - and the lower section down the hill is for white lions. Note the visitors walking through the tunnel.

 

[Wanderer]

Thank you for this review.

The Japanese name of this place translated literally would be "Okinawa Land of Children". It is some kind of nonprofit structure accredited as serving the public interest (I don't think it has an equivalent in the English-speaking world).