Tokyo Friends of the Zoo

Animals and Zoos
Spring 2026 issue (No.742)

The cover features Xiao Xiao, Giant Panda who traveled to China in January 2026.

The issue begins with a record of Xiaoxiao and Leilei's journey from Ueno Zoo to Narita International Airport, and also covers a variety of topics, including efforts to breed the endangered Japanese endemic bird, the Ogasawara Greenfinch, Chimpanzee blood sampling training, and the aquatic life and changes in Shinobazu Pond Pond.

cover

Giant Panda (photographed at Ueno Zoo in December 2025)

article

- [Ueno Zoo] The day to say goodbye to the pandas: Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei
- [Ueno Zoo] Keeping rare species to protect them from extinction - What zoos should do for the Ogasawara Greenfinch
...Yukihiro Takahashi
- [Inokashira Park Zoo] Aiming to breed Yaku Is Sika Deer deer
...Tatsuya Ito
- [Tama Zoo] The process of successfully collecting blood from Chimpanzee: Individualized training methods and health management
...Sato Sumine
- A familiar body of water: Shinobazu Pond (note)
...Michi Amano, Mikako Takamatsu

Other

Reader-submitted photo exhibition
- Poem and illustration "Flamingo"
...Poem: Ryo Kisaka, Illustration: Yoshifumi Hasegawa
- Humans and animals talk about "those who live in the magma desert"
...Kana Nishitani (Izu Oshima Geopark Certified Geoguide)
• [From a zoo lecture] When, where, and how do wild medaka fish breed?
...Yuki Kondo
Zoo topics: From Tokyo / From within Japan / From overseas
Book Reviews: Animal Books
[Ueno Zoo] Goodbye, Chinese Pangolin

• Table of Contents Illustration: Manabu Ikeda
- Hand-drawn lettering and illustrations: Isao Makino

"Animals and the Zoo" is the magazine of Tokyo Friends of the Zoo. It is published four times a year and delivered to members.
For more information, please see the Friends of the Association membership request page.

Back issues can be viewed at Ueno Zoo reference room. If you would like to view them, please check the reference room's usage guide.

We are looking for photos to submit

In the "Readers' Photo Exhibition" section, we are accepting animal photographs taken at zoos and aquariums by members of Tokyo Friends of the Zoo. Both color and black-and-white photos are welcome.

Please send your submissions to the editorial department's email address, henshubu@tokyo-zoo.net, with the subject line "Readers' Photo Exhibition," and include your address, name, membership number, the name of the zoo/aquarium and animal photographed, and a short note about your work (up to 10MB, 3 photos per submission). For further details, please see the "Readers' Photo Exhibition" page in the magazine.

We will send a small gift to everyone whose submission is featured.