Standing before the Common Wolf enclosure in the "Asian Plains" area of Tama Zoo, you might sometimes wonder, "Huh? Where are the wolves?" Indeed, it's often the case that you can't see the wolves even when you look at the enclosure.

However, in the large enclosure of the wolf house, four wolves—Chiro, Roy, Loto, and Loki—live there until around 4 PM every day, except on days when the park is open for extended hours.


From left to right: "Chiro", "Roy", "Loto", "Loki"
During the scorching summer heat, they often lie down in comfortable shaded areas under trees, making them difficult to see.

So, on a particularly hot day, we gave them "meat ice" as a gift, since they don't like the heat. Meat ice is ice made by freezing horse meat. To prevent fights over it, we prepared enough ice for each of them and released the wolves into their enclosure.

When they spot the ice, they all stop in their tracks. Even if it's something delicious, they are very cautious around unfamiliar things. They slowly close the distance, observing the other's movements. After a while, when they see that the other is not moving, they slowly approach. Once they've confirmed it's safe, they enjoy it in different ways: licking, nibbling, or poking it with their noses.

Chiro is gnawing on the ice with all his might.		Loto is hiding in the bushes, engrossed in eating meat ice.

Interestingly, after Chiro had been diligently licking and enjoying the ice, he suddenly started looking around, went over to where Loto was engrossed in the ice, and stared at him intently. It seems he was thinking, "The grass is always greener on the other side," even though he had his own ice...

Also, if you can't see the wolves, or if you only see them sitting still, try looking around the enclosure. You'll likely notice small droppings on the ground, molted hair tangled in the branches, and holes that appear to have been dug by the wolves. Even if you can't see them in the enclosure, these discoveries can give you a sense of the animals' presence.

This isn't just true for wolves; it's true for other animals as well. Each enclosure holds traces of the animals' lives. I think carefully searching for these traces is one way to enjoy visiting a zoo.

[Tama Zoo South Garden Animal Care and Exhibition Staff, Asami Hiruma]

(August 25, 2017)