Nagasaki Bio Park

Nagasaki Bio Park is a zoo and botanical garden in Saikai that spreads across a large site with animal enclosures and plant collections. The grounds are divided into themed sections where visitors can walk among pathways, ponds, and open habitats that allow direct contact with many species.

The park opened in 1980 under the design direction of Norio Kondo and Nihon Sekkei Inc. Its concept changed how zoos present animals by encouraging open encounters between people and wildlife.

The Japanese name reflects the connection between living beings and natural habitats that visitors experience as they walk through themed zones. In winter, families gather to watch capybaras bathing in warm water filled with citrus, a custom tied to the winter solstice.

Animal food can be purchased from vending machines across the grounds, allowing direct feeding of many residents. A shuttle bus connects Huis Ten Bosch station to the entrance, making arrival easier without a private vehicle.

The Guinea Pig Bridge is a small overpass where guinea pigs travel between different sections of the grounds. Visitors often gather along the route to watch this daily migration of the small rodents.