Sasebo Zoological Park and Botanical Garden
西海国立公園九十九島動植物園
Animals shown in enclosures designed around their natural behaviour.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
What this place is
The Sasebo Zoological Park and Botanical Garden (西海国立公園九十九島動植物園, Saikai Kokuritsu Kōen Kujūkushima Dōshokubutsuen) is a zoo and botanical garden located at 2172, Funakoshi-cho, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged. The zoo opened on May 25, 1961, and now contains about 330 animals and 21,000 plants. Its rainforest greenhouse contains tropical plants such as the royal water lily.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Exhibits built so animals move, climb and swim above or around visitors rather than sitting still.
- Species suited to the local climate, including cold-weather animals rarely seen elsewhere.
- Keeper talks that explain individual animals by name, personality and history.
What you can do here
- Follow the keeper-talk timetable — it is the difference between seeing animals and understanding them.
- Visit the popular enclosures right at opening, when the animals are most active.
- Try the feeding or petting experiences if they are offered that day.
- Take the loop bus or shuttle in larger parks; the sites can be surprisingly hilly.
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Good to know before you go
- Midday in summer is the worst time — most animals sleep and shade is limited.
- Closed Mondays as a rule; winter hours are shorter than summer.
- Strollers are usually rentable at the gate for a small fee.
Traveler reviews
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