On a weekend I visited Inokashira Park Zoo (Musashino and Mitaka cities) for the first time in ages. Smaller than Ueno or Tama, but less crowded—nice for a leisurely seasonal visit.
For me, a zoo means the monkey mountain. While watching, young monkeys hanging upside down on ropes started wrestling. Impressive how they grip with feet alone. Leisurely grooming—
doing it themselves, for others, or having it done—was heartwarming＝photo upper left.
Still, Inokashira's biggest superstar isHanako—though I keep saying "Indian elephant," the recent term is Asian elephant.
She came from Thailand to Ueno in September 1949 after the war, two months later thanIndiragifted by India's Prime Minister Nehru in July, and from a Thai private donor—so her arrival was modest compared with Indira's grand welcome.
Named by public contest, she inherited the name of Ueno'sHanako, ordered destroyed during the war. In postwar chaos, animals were precious; "traveling zoos" cheered children nationwide.Indira andHanako were stars, touring from Shizuoka to Hokkaido; Inokashira was on the route, and at citizens' request she moved here in 1954.
Hanako turned 66 this year, renewing Japan's elephant longevity record. Wild lifespan is around 60 (National Geographic)—human equivalent roughly 90–100. The previous record wasSuwako, a female at Kobe Oji Zoo who died at 65 in 2008.Indira died at 49 in 1983.Hanako was two and a half on arrival; with no clear birthday, she adds a year each New Year's Day.
Her life had peaks and valleys. The Mainichi reported that in late 2011 she suddenly stopped eating favorite grass and bananas, worrying keepers. They added medicinal sake to drinking water, fed dokudami herbs, increased feed from ten to over thirty types—and when she seemed recovered, March 2012 brought constipation pain from weakened digestion; feed was reworked to ease it (Mainichi morning edition, January 22, 2013, "Hanako at 66: keepers' ingenuity behind longevity," etc.).
Recently too, crowds of children called
"Hanachan!" and she looked rather pleased＝photo right. Last visit too—backing toward visitors, then returning to the wall, repeating. From the front you only see her rear—that is part of her charm. Her movement was surprisingly light; I was impressed.