In retrospect, this looks less whimsical and a lot creepier than intended
I didn't have any kind of plan when I took the JR train to Ueno, feeling restless and assuming there'd be something to occupy me there.
It didn't take too long before I ran into some critters that inspired me to visit my sixth zoo in a year and a half (not counting sanctuaries and wild critters). By myself. With lazy beard growth and wearing a T-shirt of an infectious parasite. I wonder why all the parents and school group supervisors were making sure the kids kept their distance? Just courtesy, I guess.
Ueno Kōen
(上野公園)
Shinobazu Pond and Benten-do shrine.
I guess this place would have looked a little more spectacular if I'd been here a month earlier in cherry blossom season, as originally planned. But I need the freedom to have semi-breakdowns and take ridiculous round-the-world detours between cities, leave me alone
Sunbathing turtles
This guy was master of the animals. I'll come back with bread and we'll see who the sparrows love more! I'm so lonely
These ducks had humans inside them. Oh Japan, what will you think of next?
Ueno is home to some of Japan's finest museums, apparently. But my time is precious and I didn't want to spend too much money (Japan doesn't believe in free museums), so I had to make a decision: would it be the Tokyo National Museum, National Science Museum, Museum of Western Art or Shitamachi Museum...?
Ueno Zoo
(上野動物園)
Amusing, incarcerated animals are better than a load of old swords (Masked palm civet)
I thought pandas were supposed to be rare? Every Asian zoo seems to have a pair. Probably because they can make a killing on the merchandise
The national obsession with kawaii (cute stuff) dictates which creatures are given pride of place, based on how well they would translate to a woolly hat (Jackass penguins)
Obviously, I am immune to their cute charms...
aww, I want to squeeze its big head! Let me! (Prairie dogs)
No one would buy a hat of an ugly specimen like this naked mole rat.
Look at that disrespectful caricature, it's practically racism
The Aye-Aye is a lot rarer than the giant panda, but not as many people were flooding to see this shy guy
I wonder why?
Ick. Even the babies look horrible (Image: Factzoo)
Ryukyu flying fox exposing itself
Brown lemur having a lick
Maybe Asia's monkeyed me out, but the primates didn't really do it for me this time. They had to try really hard to get my attention by having mad scientist hair (Cotton top tamarins)
Or an obviously fake, comedy beard (De Brazza's monkey)
Unusually, I really liked the birds here (Shoebill stork)
Though I think some of them were spray-painted to make them artificially interesting.
Like this is natural (Scarlet ibis)
These flamingos were painted like prawns
The gigantic Galapagos tortoise was still best
Their lizards didn't really impress me, considering this guy was walking around in my street a couple of weeks earlier (Monitor lizard in Thailand)
The morbidly obese hippo didn't so much impress me as make me a bit sick in my throat
It feels like there's something missing for a zoo blog...
Oh yes, that's right:
