[Breaking News]Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

NAGOYA, Japan, Aug. 22 Kyodo - A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day. (Kyodo)

[Breaking News]Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

NAGOYA, Japan, Aug. 23 Kyodo - Visitors watch an endangered Komodo dragon named Taro at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 23, 2024, its first day of public display. (Kyodo)

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Visitors watch an endangered Komodo dragon named Taro at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 23, 2024, its first day of public display.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Visitors watch an endangered Komodo dragon named Taro at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 23, 2024, its first day of public display.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Visitors take photos of an endangered Komodo dragon named Taro at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 23, 2024, its first day of public display.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Visitors watch an endangered Komodo dragon named Taro at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 23, 2024, its first day of public display.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

Komodo dragon at central Japan zoo

A Komodo dragon, named Taro, is shown to the press at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Aug. 22, 2024. Public display of the endangered species will begin the following day.

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 6 Kyodo - Western lowland gorilla Shabani is pictured in a new facility for gorillas and chimpanzees at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya on Sept. 5, 2018. Shabani has been the zoo's celebrity, being dubbed "ikemen," meaning handsome guy in colloquial Japanese.

Koala 'Tilly' shown to public at Nagoya zoo

Koala 'Tilly' shown to public at Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan - A female koala named Tilly is shown to the public at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan, on Oct. 17, 2014. Tilly is a gift from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first koala's arrival in the Japanese zoo.

No. of koalas kept at Japanese zoos dropping

No. of koalas kept at Japanese zoos dropping

NAGOYA, Japan - One of five koala bears kept at Nagoya's Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens eats eucalyptus on Aug. 5, 2014. The cost of cultivating the plant is rising while the number of koalas kept at Japanese zoos is declining as they age.

Gorilla baby at Nagoya zoo

Gorilla baby at Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan - A male baby Western Lowland Gorilla is unveiled to the general public at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012. The baby, born Nov. 1, is held by his mother Nene, who is estimated to be 40 years old, equivalent to being in her 60s in human age. Nene is believed to be one of the oldest females in the endangered gorilla species to ever give birth.

Gorilla baby at Nagoya zoo

Gorilla baby at Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan - A male baby Western Lowland Gorilla is unveiled to the general public at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012. The baby, born Nov. 1, is held by his mother Nene, who is estimated to be 40 years old, equivalent to being in her 60s in human age. Nene is believed to be one of the oldest females in the endangered gorilla species to ever give birth.

Jabani, the tightrope walker, in Nagoya zoo

Jabani, the tightrope walker, in Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan - Jabani, a 10-year-old gorilla, performs a tightrope walk at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya on Oct. 6. According to ape experts, gorillas are good at hanging from ropes but rarely do tightrope walks. The photo shows Jabani, who arrived from Australia in June, walking on a 5-meter-long rope suspended 3 meters above ground inside the gorilla compound.

Tokyo man arrested for allegedly selling rare macaws

Tokyo man arrested for allegedly selling rare macaws

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo shows macaws at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya after police arrested a 47-year-old self-employed Tokyo man on Jan. 9 for allegedly selling them. The macaws are protected by the Washington Convention on endangered species. The man allegedly sold eight macaws for a total of 300,000 yen.

Aging lion at Nagoya zoo dies after being rescued

Aging lion at Nagoya zoo dies after being rescued

NAGOYA, Japan - A male lion at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya died March 14 of old age, after being rescued from an 8-meter-deep concrete ditch that he had fallen into in February. The 25-year-old lion, whose age was equivalent to 80 years in human terms, was hospitalized following the four-and-half-hour rescue operation. Photo was provided by the zoo. (Kyodo)

Tokyo man arrested for allegedly selling rare macaws

Tokyo man arrested for allegedly selling rare macaws

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo shows macaws at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya after police arrested a 47-year-old self-employed Tokyo man on Jan. 9 for allegedly selling them. The macaws are protected by the Washington Convention on endangered species. The man allegedly sold eight macaws for a total of 300,000 yen.

Bear known for failed escape attempt back in outdoor exhibit

Bear known for failed escape attempt back in outdoor exhibit

A sun bear, named Martin, is photographed in an outdoor exhibit at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya on Jan. 8, 2016, after serving about eight months of "probation indoors" for making a failed escape attempt over the wall in May 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Bear known for failed escape attempt back in outdoor exhibit

Bear known for failed escape attempt back in outdoor exhibit

A sun bear, named Martin, is photographed in an outdoor exhibit at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya on Jan. 8, 2016, after serving about eight months of "probation indoors" for making a failed escape attempt over the wall in May 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Handsome gorilla attracts crowds at Higashiyama Zoo in Japan

Handsome gorilla attracts crowds at Higashiyama Zoo in Japan

Visitors to Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, take pictures of an 18-year-old male western lowland gorilla on July 15, 2015. The gorilla, with brooding good looks, is the head of a family of five and has been at the zoo after being brought from Australia in 2007. The gorilla suddenly became popular around March after images of him were put on the Internet. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Good-looking gorilla attracts crowds at Higashiyama Zoo in Japan

Good-looking gorilla attracts crowds at Higashiyama Zoo in Japan

An 18-year-old male western lowland gorilla is seen at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on July 15, 2015. The gorilla, with brooding good looks, is the head of a family of five and has been at the zoo after being brought from Australia in 2007. The gorilla suddenly became popular around March after images of him were put on the Internet. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Handsome gorilla attracts crowds at Higashiyama Zoo in Japan

Handsome gorilla attracts crowds at Higashiyama Zoo in Japan

Combined photo shows an 18-year-old male western lowland gorilla at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on July 15, 2015. The gorilla, with brooding good looks, is the head of a family of five and has been at the zoo after being brought from Australia in 2007. The gorilla suddenly became popular around March after images of him were put on the Internet. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

Western lowland gorilla Shabani is pictured in a new facility for gorillas and chimpanzees at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya on Sept. 5, 2018. Shabani has been the zoo's celebrity, being dubbed "ikemen," meaning handsome guy in colloquial Japanese. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Jabani, the tightrope walker, in Nagoya zoo

Jabani, the tightrope walker, in Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan - Jabani, a 10-year-old gorilla, performs a tightrope walk at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya on Oct. 6. According to ape experts, gorillas are good at hanging from ropes but rarely do tightrope walks. The photo shows Jabani, who arrived from Australia in June, walking on a 5-meter-long rope suspended 3 meters above ground inside the gorilla compound. (Kyodo)

Koala 'Tilly' shown to public at Nagoya zoo

Koala 'Tilly' shown to public at Nagoya zoo

NAGOYA, Japan - A female koala named Tilly is shown to the public at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan, on Oct. 17, 2014. Tilly is a gift from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first koala's arrival in the Japanese zoo. (Kyodo)

No. of koalas kept at Japanese zoos dropping

No. of koalas kept at Japanese zoos dropping

NAGOYA, Japan - One of five koala bears kept at Nagoya's Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens eats eucalyptus on Aug. 5, 2014. The cost of cultivating the plant is rising while the number of koalas kept at Japanese zoos is declining as they age. (Kyodo)

Gorilla at Nagoya zoo

Gorilla at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken Oct. 20, 2019, shows a gorilla named Shabani at Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

New coronavirus

New coronavirus

Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan, are deserted on April 18, 2020, under a nationwide state of emergency over the new coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Handsome" gorilla at Nagoya zoo

"Handsome" gorilla at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken in July 2015 shows a popular "handsome" gorilla named Shabani at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Koalas at central Japan zoo

Koalas at central Japan zoo

Photo taken Dec. 11, 2019, shows koalas at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Koala at central Japan zoo

Koala at central Japan zoo

Photo taken Dec. 11, 2019, shows a koala at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Koala at central Japan zoo

Koala at central Japan zoo

Photo taken Dec. 11, 2019, shows a koala at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, central Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken Sept. 5, 2018, shows Shabani, a Western lowland gorilla at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya. Shabani has been the zoo's celebrity, being dubbed "ikemen," meaning handsome guy in colloquial Japanese. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

Western lowland gorilla Shabani is pictured in a new facility for gorillas and chimpanzees at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya on Sept. 5, 2018. Shabani has been the zoo's celebrity, being dubbed "ikemen," meaning handsome guy in colloquial Japanese. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

"Handsome gorilla" at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken Sept. 5, 2018, shows Shabani, a Western lowland gorilla at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya. Shabani has been the zoo's celebrity, being dubbed "ikemen," meaning handsome guy in colloquial Japanese. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Bird flu infections confirmed at Nagoya zoo

Bird flu infections confirmed at Nagoya zoo

An official of Higashiyama Zoo Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya examines the facility on Dec. 12, 2016, when three black swans that have died there since November were all confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken Dec. 7, 2016, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya, which had areas covered with white hydrated lime after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus the previous day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken Dec. 7, 2016, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya, which had areas covered with white hydrated lime after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus the previous day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Photo taken Dec. 7, 2016, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya, which had areas covered with white hydrated lime after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus the previous day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Officials of Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya sterilize the facility on Dec. 7, 2016, a day after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Officials of Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya sterilize the facility on Dec. 7, 2016, a day after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Officials of Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya sterilize the facility on Dec. 7, 2016, a day after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Swan tests positive for bird flu virus at Nagoya zoo

Officials of Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the central Japan city of Nagoya sterilize the facility on Dec. 7, 2016, a day after a tundra swan there tested positive for bird flu virus. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo