Cages in zoos tend to be cramped.
Safari parks however suggest space
and are generally considered a
good environment. Doubting that
space is all there was to it, and
prompted by reports that carcasses
are fed to animals, ALIVE's Fusako
Nogami visited Nasu safari
park in Tochigi-ken and Tohoku
safari park in Fukushima-ken at
the beginning of March.
A medley of herbivores
In both parks deer, sheep and cows
from every corner of the planet had
been thrown in together. No information
about species or origin was provided.
Clearly there were too many animals
in the enclosure: the grass had been
nipped at the root, in fact no vegetation
was to be seen.
Some animals were patently ill or
injured, others lacked a leg or were
impeded in other ways. This is of
course not to argue that such animals
should be removed from sight, but
it was evident that no medical treatment
was given. The danger of contagious
diseases was also present.
Kiosks were selling animal feed
with which visitors would entice
the animals to approach their cars. "Feed
the wild animals," ran
the educationally dubious message.
Light haired animals
All the animals on display were
of a whitish colour. The majority
was kept in enclosures with neither
trees or bushes which might have
afforded shade or shelter. Had their
hair possibly been bleached by UV
rays and acid rain? Even the lion
in its den was white.
According to zoo director Kumakubo's
book "My life 300 years",
on sale at the kiosks, he collects
albinos. Whether lion, tiger, peacock
or monkey, he gets it if it is white,
and tries to make it breed. However,
since albinos are rare, breeding
them carries the risk of genetic
degradation.
Kumakubo-san's business plan does
not contain any educational or zoological
aspects, it is simply to collect
rare animals.
The problem of safety
Not to spend any money on the park
seems to be part of the business
plan. The fences are shoddily made
from scrapwood, and it is easily
imaginable that animals will escape
during an emergency.
Last year's floods in Nasu for instance,
left clear traces in the park, suggesting
that large quantities of faeces might
be washed into the river. On the
other hand, a fire can also not be
excluded.
Carcasses from diseased
animals used as feed
Mr. Kumakubo is licensed by the
prefecture to purchase dead animals
from livestock breeders. He dissects
the carcasses and feeds them to the
carnivores in the park. Again, feeding
meat considered unfit for human consumption
to animals clearly carries the risk
of disease.
"Safari" remains
an unnatural concept
When we visited the safari park,
the temperature was unusually low
and snow was falling. In the sleet,
two hippos were lying on their side
in the mud. Their whole skin was
covered with cracks. The lion likewise
was getting wet.
The author Fujiwara Eiji, who in
his book "The lion of the snow
country" first criticised the
state of Japanese zoos, quite rightly
questions the wisdom of moving lions,
which normally inhabit dry, hot savannahs,
to an area embedded in snow clad
mountains.
Neither Tohoku nor Nasu safari park
are members of the Japanese Association
of Zoos and Aquaria, they are one
man shows run by an eccentric 68
year old individual. The mere thought
of what will happen to all the surplus
animals when Kumakubo-san dies makes
one shudder.
These safari parks seem to have
been profitable for long years, and
the visitors have made Kumakubo-san
a rich man. So let's avoid these
zoos and spend our next free day
in a more enjoyable and educational
place.
