Kodomo no Kuni Zoo sees record number of visitors

The number of visitors to Okinawa Kodomo no Kuni Zoo in April reached a new all-time record of 47,197. The number is the highest for any month since 2004. It also marks a drastic increase from April 2016 when 35,719 people visited the zoo.

Kodomo no Kuni Zoo officials cite the arrival of a popular white lion to the zoo from Tohoku Safari Park in Fukushima Prefecture on the end of March as one of the main reasons for the increase.

Two other new arrivals are seen as having a strong impact on the number. One is a male lion cub named “Arusha” who was born in March, and is the first lion cub born in the zoo in three years, and the other is a female Yonaguni horse born on Apr. 10th.

Hajime Onaga, the chief of the General Affairs and Planning Section of the zoo, says, “The number of visitors rose after the white lion came here. As the Golden Week holidays continue for the next five days, we expect lots of visitors in the days ahead.”

“Okinawa Kodomo no Kuni Festival” is scheduled to start from tomorrow (May. 3) and run through the 7th. One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be the Animal Parade on Apr. 3rd.