Sendai Yagiyama Zoological Park, Zoo in Taihaku district, Sendai, Japan.
Sendai Yagiyama Zoological Park is a zoo in Taihaku district, Sendai, housing around 130 species with roughly 570 animals including African elephants, giraffes, tigers, lions, and polar bears. The site divides into themed zones that recreate different habitats and let visitors observe wildlife from several continents within the same grounds.
The park opened its gates on October 15, 1965, becoming the first major zoo in the Tohoku region. Over the following decades, the institution expanded its animal collection and developed into a key center for animal care and education in northeastern Japan.
The park runs school programs and seasonal festivals where visitors learn how Japanese communities care for wildlife and approach animal welfare. These activities help people understand local conservation efforts and the role zoos play in everyday environmental education across the region.
The facility opens from 9:00 until 16:45 between March and October, and from 9:00 until 16:00 between November and February, closing every Wednesday. The route includes several elevation changes, so visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow enough time to explore the different sections at a relaxed pace.
The institution became the first in Japan to successfully breed African buffalo and Canada geese in 1971. These achievements demonstrated the growing expertise of Japanese zoos in managing challenging species and contributed to the development of new breeding programs across the country.
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