The Truth About Ueno Zoo, Japan



I visited Ueno Zoo while I was in Japan, and it was one of the worst zoo experiences I've ever had.

In my latest vlog, I explain via subtitles that some animals were kept completely alone in their enclosures, namely the Panda. It was really sad to see that this animal was not only totally alone but so bored that she walked in the same pattern for hours on end, only stopping when she was given food. As someone who has always wanted to see a panda in real life, this broke my heart. I came to this zoo specifically to see pandas, but I saw one panda for just a few minutes, and nothing else.



In the video, you can hear everyone go 'Awww' as the panda walks away and begins to circle the area again. This continued for the entire 30 minutes I stood, waiting at the enclosure.

All the animals walked exactly the same way, pacing around the door where they are given food, for hours on end. There was barely any animal interaction, and we didn't see any of them really playing with each other except the monkeys.

The enclosures themselves were also quite small. Ueno Zoo is sort of plopped in a random place in Tokyo, connected to a park. I feel like they could expand further and give the animals more space. The elephants, in particular, seemed so restrained.

Ueno Zoo is a really hot spot for babies because they get in for free. I think the best part of this place is that you can see tons of adorable children. If you want to see a ton of kids, I recommend Ueno Zoo.
If you want to see lonely animals in small enclosures pace back and forth for hours, I also recommend Ueno Zoo.

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