Partcipating the excursion of the society of KATSURA to Tama Zoological Grden on June 20, 2013, I went to the main gate of Tama Zoological Park at am 10:00 by the train of Keio-line. Today's guide (instructor) was Mrs. Kusano who is the wife of my intimate biologist Dr. Kusano Tamotsu at Tokyo Metropolitan University. The number of participants of today's excursion were 20. We took a walk to observe and study animals by the guidance of Mrs. Kusano around Tama Zoological Park in a gentle rain for a while.
Website of Animal Ecology Laboratory in Tokyo Metropolitan University: http://www.biol.se.tmu.ac.jp/en-labo.asp?ID=en-anieco
Photo: Main Gate of Tama Zoological Park
Tama Zoological Parrk, one hour from central Tokyo by train, is a unique zoological park, where animals are displayed under naturalistic and spectacular habitats set up in its vast land of 52 ha (129 acres). The zoo has three ecological areas, i.e., the Asian Garden, African Garden, and Australian Garden, and the Insectarium. In the eastern part of the Asiatic Garden, we display Japanese animals such as sika deer,
Yezo brown bear, Japanese macaques and Japanese serows. Asiatic elephants, Indian rhinoceroses, Malayan tapirs, tigers and lesser pandas are exhibited in the western part of the Asian Garden.
The African Garden has the Lion Garden, through which you can take a bus ride and get an up-close view of these carnivorous animals. You can enjoy the savannah-style enclosure of giraffes, zebras, antelopes and ostriches. We have succeeded in breeding African elephants.
In commemoration of the twinning of Tokyo and the State of New South Wales, Australia, the Australian Garden was constructed in 1984 and koalas have been displayed since then at Tama Zoo. In 1988, the large Insectarium is completed, where various and rare insects are bred and exhibited.
The African Garden: reticulated giraffes, Grevy's zebras, scimitar oryx, ostriches, white pelicans, lions, servals, African elephants, chimpanzees, etc.
The Asiatic Garden Amur tigers, snow leopards, lesser pandas, Korean wolves, Indian rhinoceroses, water buffaloes, Asiatic elephants, Pere David's deer, reindeer, mouflons, Przewalski's wild horses, golden takins, Malayan sun bears, Mayan tapirs, orang utans, scarlet ibises, hermit ibises, straw-necked ibises, Carribean flamingoes, eagle owls, golden eagles, white-tailed sea eagles, Steller's sea eagles, etc.
The Insectarium blue grassy tigers, common grass yellows, hummingbirds, fireflies, flower mantises, stag beetles, dragonflies, tiger beetles, etc.
Japanese animals: brown bears, Japanese macaques, Japanese wild pigs, racoon dogs, sika deer, red-crowned cranes, Oriental white storks, etc.
The Australian Garden: koalas common brushtail possums, red kangaroos, common wombats, emus, laughing kookaburras, etc.
Photos: Tama Zoological Park Guide(left) and TamaZoological Park Map (right)
Photos: Today's guide (instructor) is Mrs. Kusano
Photos: Animals in Tama Zoological Park
Photos: Koala house and Koala eating the leaves of Eucalyptus's branches put in a container with the water.
Photos: Butterflies in Insectarium
We enterd two big houses which were Koala House and big insectarium. At first we watched a bred koalas which were eatng the leaves of eucalyptus in Koala House, and then we watched many various beutiful butterflies whch danced boisterously in the big insectarium.
We were dissolved at the main gate of Tama Zoological Park at pm 3:00.
