Izu Shaboten Zoo

Animal welfare is definitely not even towards the top of the list here. Most of the enclosures were so very small and pretty barren, especially for mammals. The monkeys towards the entrance had only a concrete room painted to look like a sad jungle, with only a couple of trees and no enrichment items that I could see. The sloth had a tiny concrete room with a couple of sticks, like many of the other animals. All of the owls besides one were tethered to stands with very short ropes. Many animals that every other zoo I’ve been to had in enclosures, were somehow left in open areas with no fence. Kangaroos included. The “iconic” capybara onsen is literally a muddy concrete pool that they can jump into. It was very small per the number of animals. The Agouti enclosure smelled very strong of ammonia and it was behind glass minus a small opening that you could drop food into….the ammonia smell was that strong. Many animals were dirty looking and a couple paced in circles or just back and forth. All of the parrots looked to have almost half of one whole wing clipped to prevent them from flying. The animals that were free roaming just went wherever in an odd way - I’m not sure what even kept them in the zoo. My kids liked it because you could pet many of the animals but I wonder how many animals or people have been injured due to the closeness. The only redeeming factor, and the reason for two stars, was the plant areas. My son loved seeing the different cacti, and it’s cool how you could plant your own the bring home. Overall wouldn’t recommend and definitely wouldn’t come here again. We wouldn’t have visited if we would have known just how depressing this zoo is.

Great zoo size that we covered in about 4 hours with a 4 and 6 year old. Nice cactus greenhouses with an impressive collection of 100+ year old specimens. Animal enclosures didn't many intrusive barriers which allowed us to get nice and close. There were plenty of food stations to buy feed for practically all the animals too. This type of experience would be really expensive back in Australia. General admission was also reasonable too. Definitely recommended for a family outing if you're in the area 👌

Mixed feelings about this zoo. Coming from Canada where most Zoo's have way more space than this, some of the enclosures felt pretty sad. We were originally going to go to the top of Mount Omoro but it was closed due to weather so we went to the zoo instead. Half of the zoo enclosures were absolutely tiny, and others were fairly large. For example the one with the penguins looked very small and dirty, and same with most of the indoor ones. The gorilla exhibit was also very sad and small. You could see some of the animals pacing around very fast in the small enclosures which is a sign of stress. The owls were also chained to the ground which felt very sad to see, at first I thought they were statues. You could also feed most animals, sometimes through tubes and you could see the animals just essentially begging for the food, although they looked well fed for the most part. Some cleaning and larger enclosures would make this way nicer. However we did absolutely love the capybara parts and being able to feed them. They are so funny! The bird exhibit was also quite cool.

maybe one of my favorite zoos! the amount if interaction you get with animals is awesome and many are able to roam freely in massive enclosed spaces that allow people to walk through. you can feed (and pet) capybaras! you can also feed deer, monkeys, sheep, alpacas, otters- almost every animal in the zoo can be fed by you for ¥200-¥300. There’s also a giraffe you can feed! I also believe you can get a discount if you buy tickets in advance, but I don’t think it’s necessary.

Izu Shaboten Zoo is a fun and peaceful place. It’s good for both kids and adults. We had a great time there. It was beyond our expectations. We didn't expect it to be so entertaining and fun. You can see many animals up close, like capybaras, monkeys, birds, and kangaroos. The capybaras are very cute. They even have a section where some of the pets were roaming within the specific fences area such as rabbit, capybaras and etc. You can even buy snacks (spring onions) to feed them. Other animals at specific attractions also have treats to feed them as well. It's my first time seeing live fish as a treat for the animals. There are specific instructions given on how to feed the animals. The treats cost about 100-300 yen depending on each attraction site. The zoo is not too big, so it’s easy to walk around. There are also many different kinds of cactus plants from all over the world. There is even a section where you can decorate and make your own cactus. The place is clean and the staff are nice. The zoo is really very well maintained. Tip: It’s easier to visit if you have a car because it’s far from the city. Buy the tickets from klook it's much cheaper and also the zoo is next to mount Omuro. Go to mount omuro early cause the queue is insane then can make you way to the izu zoo but also depends on your trip itinerary.

The zoo has a lot of potential. Many of the animal habitats are spacious, there are interesting species, and you can have good interaction with some animals (especially the capybara who you can feed and seem very happy). Unfortunately I felt the conditions were very inhumane for many of the exhibits and it was sad, painful, and disappointing to see. For example, the gorilla exhibit was way too small for the animals and had very little to keep them engaged. The penguin habitat had basically nowhere for the birds to swim and was filthy. There were a lot of birds and owls in tiny cages or tied to branches in place that looked distressed. A huge binturong was in a habitat not much bigger than one square meter and could barely even fit in it lengthwise. Many animals were rapidly pacing back and forth in their tiny exhibits showing signs of distress. There were tons of primates in an indoor exhibits caged that could have used enclosures ten times bigger. It was bizarre because other animals had super open and spacious exhibits. Also, because you can feed almost all of the animals (most through tubes), they are attracted to the tubes. It just seemed unnatural and not healthy to be feeding certain animals in this way rather than in a regular manner. I would way rather see a zoo with fewer animals in more appropriate enclosures.

slightly conflicting experience; overall, we loved how interactive some of the exhibits were and felt that certain animals like the otters and capybara were well taken care of and had a good quality of life, but we were also shocked by what can only be described as the pure psychological torture some of these animals are subject to - particularly the owls, parrots and toucans who were either kept in tiny cages or chained up to a branch in direct light all day next to loud music, and the chimps, who were imprisoned in a bleak room with a painted backdrop of their "natural" habitat (see pictured). As much as we loved the free-roam bird exhibit and the interactive capybara section, the way the birds, chimps and other mammals are treated left a really sour taste in our mouths. We strongly strongly urge the Shaboten Zoo to devote more resources to improving the living conditions and space provided to these animals - the owl and chimp exhibits really aren't necessary to the experience and it hurts seeing them suffer for human entertainment. It really wouldn't take much to do better by them.

We reached at 3.30pm which was shortly before closing, and most of the animal encounters close by 4pm but we still had a pretty decent interaction with some of the animals and the animal trainer was very kind. We all really enjoyed, especially the kids. It was worth the drive

The Izu Shaboten Zoo is simply a huge delight to visit. The size of the zoo is massive with a ton of various sights and exhibits. One of their main attractions is their capybara onsen show. Watching the hot springs fill up with water and the capybaras slowly walk into the bath is simply a joy to watch. That being said, this is certainly not the only fun to have at the zoo as the other exhibits and areas are just as great. For example, there's a bunch of green houses with a wide variety of cacti and other plants, a bird area where there is no boundary between the visitors and the animals, and a ton of interactive exhibits where the animals can be pet and/or fed.

After a morning seeing the Capybaras in the Izu Shaboten Zoo soak in their onsen, seeing the huge variety of other animals, walking through the cactus greenhouses, and shopping for capybara souvenirs, Forest Animal Restaurant was the perfect place for a lunch break. The restaurant was themed after animals in the zoo and even featured huge stuffed versions sitting at every table! To eat, we had the Teriyaki Burger, which was built on the most adorable capybara-shaped bun, along with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Another animal-shaped dish was the Omurice, made of ketchup-flavored rice wrapped in an omelet, topped with a scoop of potato salad, and served with broccoli, sausage, and a corn and cheese croquette. The omurice was made to look like a duck and came with a savory demiglace sauce on the side. Finally, we had the Taco Rice, which wasn't shaped like an animal, but came with ground beef, cheese, crushed tortilla chips, greens, cherry tomatoes, and salsa, all on a bed of white rice. The dish was also served with a bottle of hot sauce, which was incredibly spicy and flavorful. Overall, while the food here wasn't culinarily all that special, the theme of the restaurant made for a great experience to coincide with a visit to the zoo!

This was one of my favorite places that I visited in Japan! I specifically came here for the capybaras, which have specific showing times twice a day for one hour each showing. Even though it was for a short time, it was definitely worth it, especially since this was my first time seeing a Capybara! They also had many other animals, including animal enclosures that people could go inside, which I was not expecting. The bird and kangaroo enclosures were open for people to walk around freely, which was super cool and fun! In the kangaroo enclosure, people should be careful not to get too close to the kangaroos though in case they might kick you. Surprisingly also, the ramen was delicious! I usually don't expect food at zoos to be particularly tasty, but this was probably the best food I had ever eaten at a zoo. Service was in Japanese at the time of my visit on March 29th. Definitely visit this place if you plan to go to Japan!

My favorite animal park near Ito city. Some animals such as peacocks, monkeys are walking around the park. Compared to other zoos in Japan, you have much chance of watching animals nearby.