The most characteristic of this zoo is that it was the first to open in Japan. Since the death of the pandas in 2008, their most beloved animals, the zoo has lost some of its charm.

History

The Ueno Zoological Garden is the oldest in Japan and is located in the central area of ​​Tokyo. It has more than 2,600 animals of 464 species spread over more than 14 hectares. Besides allowing the observation of the fauna, it is dedicated to the preservation and protection of animals in danger of extinction.

The Ueno zoo has dedicated efforts to the protection of the giant panda, whose first specimens arrived from China in 1972. It worked in cooperation for the preservation of the species with the zoos of Beijing (China), San Diego (United States) and Chapultepec ( Mexico). After the death in 2008 of the Ling Ling panda, in 2011 two more animals arrived, Ri Ri (male) and Shin Shin (female), born in 1987 in the zoo of Chapultepec and which in November 2012 gave birth in Ueno to a breeding that only lived six days

Species

The zoo is divided into two large areas: the East Garden, where giant pandas, aquatic mammals, birds, cats, monkeys, bears and elephants are housed, among other species; and the West Garden, with minor pandas, crocodiles, hippos, kangaroos, small nocturnal mammals, reptiles, a lake with large birds, okapis (which were brought from the San Diego Zoo) and aye-ayes (from the Tsimbazaza Zoo, Madagascar ) among others. Both gardens are connected by a three kilometer monorail, inaugurated in 1957.

Protection of the giant panda

The Ueno zoo has dedicated efforts to the protection of the giant panda, whose first specimens arrived from China in 1972. It worked in cooperation for the preservation of the species with the zoos of Beijing (China), San Diego (United States) and Chapultepec ( Mexico). After the death in 2008 of the Ling Ling panda, in 2011 two more animals arrived, Ri Ri (male) and Shin Shin (female), born in 1987 in the zoo of Chapultepec and which in November 2012 gave birth in Ueno to a breeding that only lived six days