Japan's last 2 captive sea otters symbolizing species' fragile future
By Remi Shiratori, KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 10:21 | Feature, All
A central Japan aquarium offers a rare glimpse of sea otters floating on their backs and using rocks like masterful chefs to crack open clams, mussels and other shellfish treats.
However, unfortunately, the opportunity is nearing its end and signaling wider concern for the species.
People flock every day to the Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture to see the last two remaining sea otters in captivity in Japan. They hope to get an up-close look at the cute mammals and their playful antics.
In recent years, the wild sea otter population has plummeted as hunters have targeted the animal for its dense and valuable fur. The situation is made even more dire when combined with environmental pollution, including the aftereffects of the massive Exxon Valdez ocean tanker oil spill off the coast of Alaska in 1989 that killed them in their thousands.
Breeding in captivity has also been challenging, and experts are sounding alarm bells about the species' future.
"People should not only love sea otters but also pay attention to why they have become an endangered species," advised one expert.
At the aquarium in the city of Toba, the two sea otters -- 21-year-old May and 17-year-old Kira -- are by far the most popular attraction.
They are the only sea otters remaining in a Japanese aquarium or zoo after the death in January of Riro, who was 17, at Marine World Uminonakamichi in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan.
The average lifespan of sea otters in captivity is typically around 20 years. With both May and Kira being female, breeding is not an option and imports of sea otters also ceased in 2003 due to international restrictions.
According to the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the number of sea otters in captivity in Japan peaked at 122 in 1994. Since then, their numbers have steadily declined as breeding has proven difficult and mothers have suffered lactation issues, causing problems with feeding the pups that have been born.
Opened in May 1955, the Toba Aquarium is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. It is making painstaking efforts to keep May and Kira healthy and alive as long as possible.
Breeder Yoshihiro Ishihara, 64, has devised a creative way to encourage them to exercise during feeding. He attaches squid fins high inside the sea otters' enclosure so they are forced to jump and extend both paws to grab their food. In this way, Ishihara can determine their muscle condition and cognitive ability.
In an effort to allow as many people as possible to see May and Kira, the aquarium last year began livestreaming their activities around the clock on YouTube.
But, due to their popularity, a time limit at the sea otters' enclosure was also introduced from March 17. Visitors are only permitted to stand in the viewing area for up to 1 minute.
On March 20, the first holiday following the introduction of the time limit, a long line formed.
Takashi Okura, a 66-year-old business owner from Osaka Prefecture and his wife Yuko, 66, expressed sadness that sea otter numbers have dwindled in recent years.
"We'll miss them if they're all gone," Okura said.
According to Yoko Mitani, a professor of marine mammalogy at Kyoto University and an expert on sea otter ecology, the animals are being preyed upon by killer whales in Alaska, and their habitat is undeniably deteriorating.
Because sea otters live in cold regions, "rising sea temperatures due to global warming pose another threat," she pointed out.
One ray of hope is confirmation that a population of sea otters has established itself off the eastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan's northern main island, in recent years.
"Now that attention to sea otters is growing, we should face dealing with their situation head-on," Mitani said.
The Toba Aquarium keeps approximately 1,200 marine species, the most of any aquarium in Japan. In addition to sea otters, it has Japan's only dugong in captivity, and it was the first place in the world to successfully breed finless porpoises.
There is no suggested path for visitors to follow at the aquarium, allowing people to have unique experiences such as walking through a transport tunnel with marine mammals. The aquarium also engages in research, conservation projects and educational activities using the animals in its care.
"I hope that people come to see the sea otters here and get a true sense of the attraction, prompting them to learn even more about these marine mammals," Toba Aquarium President Yoshihito Wakai, 65, said.
Related coverage:
FEATURE: Rising pit bull attacks in Japan put spotlight on negligent owners
Chimps solve complex problems better when watched by audience: study
Demand for pet funerals stronger than ever in Japan
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
6 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Elderly resident donates gold worth over $2 million to Nara Pref. city for disaster relief
SAKURAI, Nara -- The municipal government here announced on June 6 that it had received a donation of 20 kilograms of gold -- worth approximately 330 million yen (about $2.28 million) -- from a local man in his 70s, who requested that the funds be used to improve evacuation shelters in times of disaster. According to city officials, the donor contacted Sakurai Mayor Masatake Matsui by letter in early February to express his desire to donate the gold bars. The donation itself was completed on March 17, and the city presented him with an official letter of appreciation on March 28. Matsui expressed gratitude for the generous contribution, saying, "We sincerely appreciate this donation and will ensure it is used meaningfully." The donated gold consisted of 20, 1-kilogram ingots. The donor reportedly accumulated the bars little by little over many years. He decided to give the bars to his city after learning that evacuees struggled with inadequate toilet facilities following the Jan. 1, 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. He expressed hope that the funds would help create a better environment at evacuation shelters for elderly residents and people with disabilities. City officials believe this is likely the largest individual donation to Sakurai. The city plans to seek approval from the municipal assembly to convert the precious metal into cash. (Japanese original by Yasuyoshi Mochizuki, Sakurai Local Bureau)
Yomiuri Shimbun
11 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
4 China Coast Guard Ships Enter Japan's Territorial Waters Off Senkakus; 1st Time since May 14
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Senkaku Islands are seen in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, in September 2013. Four China Coast Guard vessels entered the territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture on Friday, according to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th Regional Headquarters in Naha. This was the first time for a CCG vessel to enter Japanese territorial waters since May 14. The regional headquarters said that the four ships entered the waters off the Senkakus' Uotsuri Island one after another between 10:31 a.m. and 10:46 a.m. on Friday. All four left around 12:30 p.m.
SoraNews24
a day ago
- SoraNews24
Grow your own balcony rice balls with this new how-to book
With 30 seeds and 180 days of patience, you too can also eat rice from a bucket . You don't necessarily need your own plot of farmland, or tons of agricultural expertise, to try growing your own food. Just about anyone can grow a pot of baby carrots, and in Japan, even many elementary school students are given the summer homework assignment of growing a tomato plant at their houses, which is a wonderful way to get a hands-on experience of how food arrives on their plates. Tomatoes make a great crop for their summer homework, as they grow quickly and don't need a garden; they can be grown in a small pot on a balcony, which is perfect for more urban environments. Now, a new contender for do-it-yourself agriculture that you can do even in an urban apartment may be emerging, as it turns out that rice also makes for a perfect plant to grow at home. Instead of digging up your flooring to create a living room rice paddy, a recently released guidebook shows exactly how you can grow rice in a bucket right from your very own balcony. When people tend to picture the cultivation of rice, it usually entails a sea of green plants below a beautiful blue sky, rather than a cramped apartment balcony in the middle of Tokyo. ▼ Would you rather eat food grown here? ▼ Or here? However, the author of this latest book, Junko Nakamura, says that growing rice on balconies can, and should, be done to allow people to reflect on the effort it entails to grow Japan's staple food. ▼ From a Single Grain of Rice to a Rice Ball and Shimenawa: Growing Bucket Rice by Junko Nakamura (1,430 yen [US$10]) All you need is a bucket, soil, and water to create your very own miniature rice paddy right outside your house. With just 30 rice seeds you can harvest around 70 grams (about 2.47 ounces) of rice, which is about enough for one small rice ball. If you want to make something a little more substantial in size, two buckets might be a better idea. ▼ Let them germinate ▼ Plant them ▼ Transfer them to their buckets and then wait… Since rice takes about 180 days until you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, some people might wonder if all of that effort is worth it, if all you'll get out of it is a single rice ball. ▼ A comparison of the 'bucket rice' process (upper) to the traditional rice cultivating process (lower) from March to December However, the real value lies in the intangible results: a deeper appreciation of the many steps required to get a bowl of rice onto the dinner table. Unlike vegetables, rice demands long-term care and, after it is fully grown, sufficient processing. Not only is it necessary to keep the soil sufficiently submerged in water, but after the rice is ready to harvest, there is still threshing and polishing to carry out before you can even think about eating it. ▼ The book has cute pictures explaining each step. With a rice ball in hand, you might think the whole process is over, but that's not actually the case. Traditionally, Japanese people have repurposed leftover rice stalks into everyday items, leaving nothing to waste. These items could be bags, traditional footwear, or brooms, but Junko Nakamura suggests that your harvested rice stalks be made into shimenawa, the twisted ropes often seen at Shinto shrines or hung over doors at New Year's to ward off evil spirits, and provides illustrations in how to do so. Not only do you get a satisfying meal, grown by your hands, but even a little handmade New Year's decoration. If you're looking for a new hobby, or want to enrich a child's food education, bucket rice may be just the thing. It's a slow-paced activity that cultivates more than just the food in a bowl, but also patience, cultural and agricultural awareness, and an appreciation for every single grain. Related: Amazon, PR Times Top image : PR Times Insert images: PR Times, Pakutaso (1, 2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
