Society

Baby Boom at North Safari Sapporo Despite Eviction Plans

HOKKAIDO, May 18 (News On Japan) - Spring has brought a wave of newborn animals to North Safari Sapporo, a privately run zoo in Minami Ward, Sapporo City, even as the facility remains under pressure to remove illegal structures and relocate its animals.

Recent footage shared on the zoo’s social media shows two Arctic wolf pups born in April snuggling up to their mother. Alongside them, the zoo has reported new births of sheep and penguins, among others, signaling a full-blown baby boom.

North Safari Sapporo has been ordered to dismantle 156 illegally constructed buildings, including animal enclosures, and relocate all 640 of its animals. As of March, only 210 animals had been moved, and plans for relocating the remainder remain uncertain.

The unexpected timing of the births has drawn concern and confusion from city officials.

With more than half the relocations still unaccounted for, city officials expressed concern, stating, "While it's part of nature and cannot be helped, it's unclear what the zoo is trying to do." The ongoing births are seen as complicating an already fraught situation.

Source: 北海道ニュースUHB

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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