(Voice actor) Ms.Marilyn Lo

The Ueno Zoo in Taito ward, Tokyo, opened in 1882, becoming the first zoo in Japan. The annual visitor total of over 3 million people is also the most of all zoos in Japan. Currently (as of November 2017), there are over 500 different species of animal, among them giant pandas, as well as beasts like lions, panthers, and tigers, and other popular animals such as hippopotamus, elephants, and giraffes. The total number of animals is over 3000. Many people visit as a family vacation or on dates, and there are also art students who paint pictures and people trying to take photos of the animals. There are so many ways to enjoy the zoo, making Ueno Zoo a consistently popular place. Here, the elephant zone is also a popular spot. Children get excited when they see elephants eat food and drink water with their long nose. Elephants have always been a popular animal. Near the cage, there is a place that is known only to few. It is a stone monument to commemorate the animals that died while being raised in Ueno Zoo. There are animals that unfortunately die while under the care of the zoo. This stone monument is for the souls of such animals. The zookeepers place flowers on the monument. Visitors putting their hands together can also be seen. There is a story behind this stone monument in Ueno Zoo. In 1941, Japan and the US entered war. There was an air raid in Tokyo by American airplanes in 1942. During this time, Tokyo was juggling a crisis. That was that if an air raid caused damage to zoos, the dangerous animals could escape and might harm the civilians. In fact, in 1936, there was an incident where a black panther that was being raised in Ueno Zoo escaped and was captured 12 hours later. Even one black panther disrupted Tokyo when it escaped. Some feared that if there were several of them, Tokyo might be thrust into panic. So Tokyo made Ueno Zoo come up with a plan. It was called the “Zoo Emergency Procedure Outline.” And in 1943, when the possibility of an air raid to Tokyo drew near, Tokyo ordered Ueno Zoo to execute the plan described in this “Zoo Emergency Procedure Outline.” For the people working in Ueno Zoo, it was a very difficult and an unbearable event. What happened in Ueno Zoo at this time?