Kobe Oji Zoo


Kōbe Ōji Zoo, or simply Kobe Zoo or Ōji Zoo, is a municipal zoo in Kobe, Japan.

Attractions

;Panda House:Giant pandas since 2000.
; Zoological Science Center: An indoor educational center featuring skeletal specimens and a reading room.
; Big Cats Circle: tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, and jaguars.
; Polar Bear House: Aboveground and underwater viewing areas
; Animals' Land & Children's Zoo: red pandas, otters, koalas and some farmyard animals.
; A small amusement park: Rides and games for children, includes a Ferris wheel and chair swing ride.
; The E.H. Hunter House: The former residence of the founder of Osaka Iron Works, :ja:E.H.ハンター|Edward Hazlett Hunter. An elaborate example of a 19th-century, it is at the northeast corner the zoo. The interior – with roped-off period furniture – is only open a few months each year. It was designated an Important Cultural Property by both the prefecture and the nation.
Animals in other sections include giraffes, zebras, kangaroos, ostriches, flamingos, hippos, some species of apes, crocodiles, bobcats, sea lions, snow owls, and elephants.

Surrounding

Technically the zoo is within Ōji Park, but the zoo is enclosed and has admission fees. Surrounding the zoo are the various parts of a sports complex. To the zoo's northwest is the Ōji Sports Center. To the northeast are some tennis courts; to the east is Ōji Stadium; to the southwest is the Museum of Literature.