What other travelers are saying about Izu Shaboten Zoo
【Overall 10/10 recommend this place! 】
You can have close interactions with a lot of cute animals and even feed some of them with snacks that you can purchase with 100-300 yen.
the animals here seem to be relaxed and free to wander around which is super nice, cuz it’s really sad to see animals being restricted in confined areas just like in the other zoos. The keepers did a great job!
However, skme of the animals shows stressed/stereotyped behaviors like repeated walking. Hopefully it's not because of too many visitors.
Lots of cool exhibits. Most attractions were pet friendly. The good options are good too. Most exhibits will allow you to purchase food for 100-300yen to feed the animals. A must go if you're in Ito
A well maintained zoo that is full of cactus and home to plenty of animals that you can purchase feeds for ¥200-300. The highlight is definitely the capybara family which is situated very closely from the entrance, it’s easy to see they’re the stars as visitors crowded around to feed and take photos with them. Actually during winter times (from November) visitors can also watch them enjoying the famous outdoor hot springs too.
Others include three adorable red pandas, various monkeys, desert foxes, lemurs and llamas. Not to mention several Indian peacocks that roam freely around the park. Visitors can also paid to go on a boat cruise to see all sorts along the river and there is an animal show. It is definitely an entertaining place for both adults and children, and worth to visit especially if you are also visiting Mount Omuro (which the zoo offers discounted tickets if you present tickets to that).
It was fascinating to be able to see capybaras roaming and feeding up close, and being so near to an owl was a truly unique experience. However, I couldn’t help but still feel bad for the animals being kept in captivity. Seeing the owls chained up, especially knowing they are nocturnal animals subjected to visitors throughout the day, was particularly disheartening. Also, one of the white pony looked sick.
While I understand the appeal of such close encounters, I hope the welfare and natural behavior of the animals are given greater consideration.
