Toba Aquarium is the only facility in Japan that keeps dugongs.
The dugong is a large, entirely marine mammal found across the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa to northern Australia, and is more closely related to elephants than to whales. A specialized seagrass grazer, it uses its downturned snout to feed on the seabed and can live 50 years or more in the wild. Threatened by fishing net entanglement, habitat loss, hunting, and vessel strikes, the species has declined by roughly 20% over the past 90 years and is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN — with an especially precarious status in Japan, where it is Critically Endangered.
Source: aquarium.co.jp Source: aquarium.co.jp Source: www.kkday.com Source: iseshima.keizai.biz Source: www.iucnredlist.org
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the only facility in Japan that keeps this species.
The giant oceanic manta ray is among the largest living rays, with a disc width typically around 4.5 meters and exceptional individuals exceeding 7 meters. Found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide, it filter-feeds on plankton and small fish while swimming with its mouth agape, and it possesses the largest brain of any fish. Slow to reproduce and heavily targeted for its gill rakers, it is classified as Endangered.
Source: churaumi.okinawa Source: www.iucnredlist.org
Only two facilities in Japan keep emperor penguins.
The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species, breeding in the depths of the Antarctic winter on sea ice. Males alone incubate the single egg for about two months without eating, huddling together in temperatures well below freezing while females forage at sea.
Source: www.aws-s.com Source: nagoyaaqua.jp Source: iucn.org Source: www.iucnredlist.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org
Only three facilities in Japan currently keep killer whales.
The killer whale, or orca (Orcinus orca), is the largest member of the dolphin family and an apex predator found in every ocean, from tropical waters to polar seas. Living in complex matrilineal pods with distinct hunting techniques and vocal dialects passed down across generations, it is considered one of the most socially sophisticated and intelligent marine mammals. The IUCN currently classifies it as Data Deficient, though specific populations such as the southern residents are listed as endangered.
Source: www.kamogawa-seaworld.jp Source: nagoyaaqua.jp Source: www.kobesuma-seaworld.jp Source: iucn-csg.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org
Only a small number of facilities in Japan maintain permanent whale shark exhibits.
The whale shark is the world's largest fish, a gentle filter-feeding giant that migrates through tropical and warm-temperate seas worldwide, drawing divers and, unfortunately, fishing pressure that has driven steep population declines.
Source: churaumi.okinawa Source: churaumi.okinawa Source: www.kaiyukan.com Source: www.kaiyukan.com Source: iucn.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org
Only a few sea otters remain in Japanese aquariums.
The sea otter is a marine mustelid of the North Pacific coast, prized for having the densest fur of any animal and famous for using rocks as tools to crack open shellfish while floating on its back. Hunted to near extinction for its pelt during the 18th to 20th centuries—when the population crashed from an estimated 150,000–300,000 to just 1,000–2,000 individuals—it has partially recovered to around 107,000 today but remains classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
Source: aquarium.co.jp Source: www.iucnredlist.org Source: www.nikkei.com Source: aquarium.co.jp Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: aquarium.co.jp
OkapiOkapia johnstoni
Only two facilities in Yokohama keep okapis in Japan.
The okapi is a forest-dwelling relative of the giraffe, endemic to the Ituri rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite its zebra-striped legs, it shares a common ancestor with the giraffe roughly 11.5 million years ago and is one of only two living members of the giraffe family. Threatened by deforestation, illegal hunting, and armed conflict in its range, the okapi is classified as Endangered, with conservation efforts including the Okapi Conservation Project founded in 1987.
Source: www.hama-midorinokyokai.or.jp Source: www.hama-midorinokyokai.or.jp Source: www.iucnredlist.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org
Only a limited number of facilities in Japan keep shoebills.
The shoebill is a giant, stork-like wading bird found in the freshwater swamps of central tropical Africa, most notably the Sudd wetlands of South Sudan. Named for its enormous, boot-shaped bill, it hunts primarily lungfish and other large fish, often standing motionless for hours while waiting for prey to surface. Classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and disturbance, it is thought to number only 5,000 to 8,000 individuals in the wild.
Source: www.tokyo-zoo.net Source: nasu-oukoku.com Source: www.kobe-oukoku.com Source: noichizoo.or.jp Source: www.iucnredlist.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org Source: ja.wikipedia.org