A female Japanese Hare that was being kept at Inokashira Park Zoo passed away on August 6, 2025. She had come to the zoo from Itozu no Mori Park in Kitakyushu City in March 2011 and was 15 years old, born in 2010.


Immediately after arriving at the park (photo taken March 25, 2011)
The lifespan of Japanese Hare is typically said to be 3 to 5 years in the wild and about 10 years in captivity, so this individual, which lived to be 15 years old, can be said to have lived an exceptionally long life.

In its later years, its movements became slower, and it spent its days peacefully, but its cautious nature, typical of a wild animal, never diminished. During the day, it would stay still under the hut or in the shade of trees. As a result, it was often difficult to spot from the park paths because it was so good at hiding. In the evenings, it would begin to stroll around the exhibit area and would often eat the grass growing in its enclosure.


A scene of people strolling through the exhibition hall (photo taken on May 22, 2022)
From 2023 onwards, during the hottest months, she spent time indoors in an air-conditioned environment. Despite her advanced age, she ate well and her appetite never diminished. She especially loved apples and green grass, and I was always impressed by her voracious appetite as she would immediately come and eat them whenever I offered them. She showed the strength to live until the very end.

Thank you all so much for your support over the years.

[Inokashira Park Zoo]

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