We held an event to commemorate the 10th anniversary Tasmanian Devil arrival at the park.
September 7, 2026
This year (2026) marks the 10th anniversary of the start of Tasmanian Devil breeding in 2016, and we held various events at Tama Zoo to commemorate this milestone.
The commemorative events began on Thursday, June 25th, with a special exhibition. Panels presented information on the ecology of Tasmanian Devil, as well as the latest research findings on devil facial tumor disease. In addition, a Tasmanian Devil skeleton and specialized traps used in the area were also on display. The exhibition was extended slightly until Tuesday, July 28th, and was visited by many people.
Our zoo's involvement in raising Tasmanian Devil began when we participated in the "Save Tasmanian Devil Program" promoted by the Tasmanian government. This time, we organized a 10th-anniversary ceremony and lecture, utilizing video letters and online connections via Zoom to invite relevant parties from Tasmania.
We received nearly four times the number of applications as there were available spots, demonstrating the high level of interest. However, the event scheduled for Saturday, June 27th had to be canceled due to the temporary closure of the park in response to the approach of Typhoons 7 and 8.
The following day, June 28th (Sunday), fortunately, the typhoon did not affect the park, and it was open as usual. On this day, we held a workshop to make Tasmanian Devil ear headbands. More than 200 people, mainly families with children, participated and seemed to be having a great time.
Despite the bad weather, many visitors came to Watching Center the event venue. Many were intently reading the exhibition panels, and some said they had come because they had signed up for a lecture the day before but it was cancelled.
We had also planned a fundraising event this weekend to support the conservation Tasmanian Devil. Due to the temporary closure of the park, we had to postpone Saturday's event, but many people helped us out on Sunday. We received requests for more fundraising opportunities, so we added fundraising activities for the following weekend, July 4th (Saturday) and 5th (Sunday).
The total amount of donations collected over the three days was 267,561 yen, which was sent in full to "Save Tasmanian Devil Appeal" on Thursday, August 27th. Those who donated received a commemorative pin badge. It makes us very happy to see people wearing these badges both inside and outside the park.
The ceremony and lecture that had been canceled were, after rescheduling with Tasmania, held as an online live stream on YouTube on August 1st (Saturday), and were viewed by over 120 people.
The ceremony included a congratulatory video message from Tasmanian Deputy Premier Guy Burnett, and a lecture featuring presentations by local conservationists and our zookeepers. Many questions were submitted via chat during the Q&A session after the lectures. While the online format allowed those who applied but were unsuccessful to view the event, the post-event survey also revealed disappointment that the change in date and time prevented some from attending.
Therefore, we have decided to make the archived version available for a limited time, and we hope that many of you will take the opportunity to watch it.
*The video will be available until October 4th, 2026 (Sunday).
We were plagued by bad weather, which caused us some worry, but thanks to the meticulous preparations and adjustments made by all the staff, and the cooperation of many people involved, we were able to successfully conclude the event.
Whether people came to the park specifically for this event or simply happened to be there and decided to participate, we believe it was a great opportunity to share the charm of Tasmanian Devil with many people. We will continue to work hard to raise awareness and promote the animal together with Tasmanian Devil who came to the park as "animal ambassadors."
[Tama Zoo Education and Outreach Section, Kosaka]