Last Saturday, we visited Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture. It was quite far from our Chiba home, almost 200 km away, and there were a lot of winding mountain roads to endure. Thank God we gave the kids their car-sickness pills! Nonetheless, the trip was worth it. We enjoyed the zoo, which also houses a beautiful variety of cacti and succulent plants.
Quite a number of the animals were not in cages. They had their free-range enclosures that visitors could walk in and mingle with. They seemed relaxed and comfortable with humans, especially the capybaras. We also met a sociable emu, who had fun strolling with the visitors.
We met this adorable Fennec Fox, who kept coming to his feeding hole, hoping visitors would buy
I enjoyed meeting the owls. They were all over the place. I’m not sure if you could touch them but they were certainly within your grasp. I just asked them nicely if they’d pose for my camera, and they did. 😀 These are gorgeous birds! ♡
Fun Fact:
This is the zoo that started the famous outdoor onsen bath for capybaras.
Guided animal boat tours are available in the zoo itself. An additional fee is required.
Mount Omuro, an extinct volcano, is just next to the zoo.
I tried cactus soft cream for the first time! The taste was rather mild. Even after eating it, I still don’t know what a cactus tastes like! LOL
BIG MISTAKE!
Overall, this is a great place to visit. I highly recommend it. Our only regret was not knowing about the squirrel monkeys! When we were there, we heard the broadcasts about the Squirrel Monkey Feeding Event, but we thought they were in cages or something. We didn’t realize these monkeys were also free to roam around. During feeding, they’d climb all over visitors to get food. Sigh, we missed a chance to get up close and personal with these tiny cuties. ~~>_<~~
Park’s Information
Opening hours:
9:00 am to 5:00 pm (MAR to OCT)
9:00 am to 4:00 pm (NOV to FEB)
Please double-check the official website for closing dates and opening hours.
Admission Fee:
Adult: 2,300 yen
Elementary School Children: 1,100 yen
Access & Car Park
Parking fee for regular cars: ¥500
See access here.
