Kusatsu Tropical Wonderland, Mountain zoo in Kusatsu Onsen, Japan
Kusatsu Tropical Wonderland is a zoological park set at 1,165 meters elevation featuring a 15-meter-high tropical dome where visitors observe various animal species in recreated jungle environments. The facility houses over 250 species and 1,000 animals, including capybaras, lemurs, marmosets, and numerous reptiles, with designated feeding and interaction zones throughout.
The zoo opened on October 10, 1970, as Japan's first high-altitude tropical animal sanctuary in mountainous Gunma Prefecture. This founding represented an innovative approach to maintaining tropical wildlife in a cold mountain region.
The facility blends hot spring heating with animal care, a combination rarely seen elsewhere in zoo design. This approach allows the tropical animals to behave naturally while visitors experience something between a zoo and a wellness center.
Wear comfortable walking shoes as pathways through the animal areas can be steep and slippery when wet from the tropical humidity. Visit early in the day when animals are most active and crowds are lighter.
Fish therapy sessions let visitors experience natural hand and foot treatments from Garra rufa fish while observing the extensive reptile collection. This combination of wellness activity and animal encounter is an unusual addition to a typical zoo visit.
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