展示の目玉は”坂を上るゾウ”　福岡市動物園の3頭のゾウあす全面公開　3回の脱走とメスゾウの死のりこえ

These Asian elephants arrived at the Fukuoka City Zoo from Myanmar in July of this year. After a tragic incident involving the escape of a calf and the death of a 12-year-old female elephant, the three will finally be fully unveiled on the 30th. Keeper details the highlight of the exhibit: the "Elephants Climbing a Slope." The Three Elephants at the Fukuoka City Zoo A mother and her child eat side by side. The 22-year-old mother elephant and her 3-year-old female baby elephant. Perhaps hungry, the mother and child appear to be fighting over the food. Shohei Shirahama, elephant caretaker at the Fukuoka City Zoo, calls out, "Yo, yo, yo!" as the zookeeper signals when food is placed down. RKB Reporter Takahiro Uetaka "The elephants powerfully climb the slope toward the food. It's incredibly impressive." The elephants run up toward the food placed on a high platform. They manage to make it to the top, shaking their large bodies. The baby elephant is curious and playful. One afternoon, during a cold rainy day with temperatures below 10°C, the baby elephant was splashing around in the water. He's curious, playful, and playful, the polar opposite of his docile mother. Fukuoka City Zoo is home to this mother and child elephant, along with a 14-year-old male elephant with a gentle disposition. Opening postponed by one month Four Asian elephants arrived from Myanmar, approximately 4,000 kilometers away, in July of this year. Fukuoka City Zoo, which received them, had initially aimed for a full public release in October, but postponed the opening by one month, prioritizing building trust between the elephants and their caretakers. In the four months leading up to their release, the elephants have faced some turmoil and sadness. Baby Elephant Slips Through Fence In August, a baby elephant slipped through the fence and escaped. The baby elephant was playing on a high platform, moving its trunk around, while people passed directly underneath. The baby elephant, who had previously escaped at least three times, reportedly escaped through a gap in the wire. Shohei Shirahama, Elephant Keeper at Fukuoka City Zoo, said, "The wire was taut, but the gap between the wires was a little too large, so the baby elephant escaped like a professional wrestler entering the ring." Witnesses exclaimed, "Ah! Let's go back! Let's go back!" and "He's acting like a human!" The baby elephant returned to the inside of the enclosure on its own, avoiding any dangerous contact with visitors. The gap in the fence that led to the baby elephant's escape is now sealed with chains. 12-Year-Old Female Elephant Dies In September, a 12-year-old female elephant passed away. Shirahama, who had built a trusting relationship with his three elephants despite facing the unexpected death of an elephant, continues to work under the stewardship of a Myanmar zookeeper named Mafu, but he says the four months leading up to the elephant's release were filled with hardships. Shohei Shirahama, Elephant Caretaker at Fukuoka City Zoo "Mahu is in charge of the care of the elephants directly, so we're keeping them in the same space as them. We use semi-indirect care, where we interact with the elephants from outside the cage and control them, but it took quite a while to make the transition." "I think the sight of them climbing a slope is unique in Japan." The three elephants have gotten used to their new environment. Tomorrow is the day they will finally be fully unveiled to the public. Shirahama talks about the highlight of the exhibit: the "elephants climbing a slope." Shohei Shirahama, Elephant Caretaker at Fukuoka City Zoo "In Myanmar, we live in the mountains, so it's common to see them climbing slopes. I think this is the only zoo in Japan where you can see this, so I hope people enjoy watching the impressive sight and their hard work." For more details, check out NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rk...