Individual guinea pig care

Inokashira Park Zoo is currently raising 153 guinea pigs (as of December 1, 2025).

As the person in charge, I always find it heartwarming to see visitors talking about their favorite guinea pigs as they look at the many of them, saying things like, "I like that one. How about you?" Some people seem to think, "With so many, it must be difficult to keep track of (identify) each one."

If you are in charge of raising them for a long time, you will be able to identify individuals by their appearance and other characteristics, and you will also be able to remember their names. However, to ensure that no one mistakes an individual, we implant microchips in guinea pigs. Each microchip has a unique number recorded on it, and this number can be read using a special machine.

By comparing the microchip number with a table summarizing individual information, you can accurately determine the name, date of birth, lineage, medical history, etc. It is also useful for recording new information about each individual animal, such as its weight and health status.

There are approximately 130 guinea pigs participating in our interaction program. When they are kept in a group, it can be difficult to notice changes in an individual's physical condition. In order to ensure that we do not miss any changes, we carefully observe them when they "leave" their sleeping quarters after spending the night.

The guinea pigs walk out of the house on their own. When they do, we check to see if there are any strange movements. Also, be wary of individuals that walk slowly at the back of the house, stay in the corner of the sleeping area without moving, or don't start eating their morning food.

We observe them carefully and if we determine that they are unwell, we will take them to the veterinarian. We also carefully observe them when they return to their sleeping quarters from outside.

One of our important tasks is to check all the animals once a week. We pick up each animal and thoroughly check their entire body for hair loss, lumps, injuries to their eyes, overgrown or crooked teeth, diarrhea, loose stools, blood in the urine, and frequent urination. We pay particular attention to older animals, as they are prone to changes in their health.

The guinea pig interaction program is an important opportunity for participants to take the first step in learning to love animals. We believe that liking and becoming interested in animals will eventually lead participants to pay more attention to the environment in which animals live. We will continue to make efforts to manage the guinea pigs, who are the main characters of this important program, so that they can remain healthy.

[Inokashira Park Zoo Zoo and Zoo Exhibition Manager]