What other travelers are saying about Yokohama Zoological Gardens “Zoorasia”
This place is huge. We were not prepared for that. Hence we did not get through it all. It was very peaceful. Very Pacific Northwest like. Many of the animals seemed to have some very nice enclosures. Others could have used a little more space. There are plenty of open spaces that can be used to just walk, sit and think, enjoy a family picnic.
Nice family-oriented venue with many zones for relax. A regular tourist that is in Tokyo for just a few days would probably want to skip this venue, but if you are staying for a month - it might be worth visiting. Note that certain activities are happening in the morning and in the afternoon and if you go after 11:00 you may miss them. Also during lunch time (and early afternoon) most of the animals are relaxing under a shade and you can barely see them.
A nice place to visit. You'll be surprised and amazed with the animals there. A great place for bonding with your family. An enjoyable place. Ready with your feet it's a huge place for walking while visiting each animals.
Don't go there!!!
The animals are in a very neglected state!
Lions in a very bad condition; too thin and hardened fur..
The red panda had repetitive movements, which points out that they are miserable there, all of them.
The animals seem to be lonely, too.
My heart hurts, and I regret going to the zoo.
I hope that no one will go there anymore.
And if I could, I would not even give it one star!
First, allow me to start on a positive note: Asian Tropical Forest is a well-maintained and clean zoo with many family-friendly amenities and picnic spaces. They boast a large variety of animals. HOWEVER... Some enclosures for larger mammals and birds with flight capabilities are disappointingly small for animals that naturally roam. Tama Zoo sets a commendable example by striving to create more natural and explorable environments for its larger animals.
It was particularly disheartening to see Asian Tropical Forest, given the vast land they have, opt for large parks, play areas, and expansive grassy fields for humans instead of larger enclosures for the animals. I believe the welfare of the animals should always take precedence, which I didn't feel was fully considered given their land use. For instance, there's a large field with a fake elephant enjoying a massive enclosure while the two real elephants share a cramped space (See in my pictures for an example).
I remain hopeful that as laws concerning animal welfare align more closely with global standards and with the resources available to them, Asian Tropical Forest will prioritize creating more animal-friendly environments.
