Adventure World (Japan)

Adventure World
Adventure World entrance gate
Date opened	1978
Location	Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan
Memberships	JAZA
Major exhibits	giant panda, Emperor Penguin etc.

Adventure World (白浜アドベンチャーワールド, Shirahama Adobenchā Wārudo) is an amusement park with a zoo and a public aquarium, located in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by Hours Co., Ltd. (AWS), an affiliate of Marusue Co., Ltd. headquartered in Matsubara, Osaka Prefecture. The park opened on April 22, 1978, as Nanki Shirahama World Safari.

Operating under the motto of "contact between humans, animals, and nature", Adventure World consists of a zoo, aquarium, and an amusement park. The park's many facilities include a giant panda breeding exhibition and dolphin and sea lion shows. The park also hosts various animal-themed restaurants and cafes, as well as academic tours.

In January 2023, two lions at Adventure World died of COVID-19 after contact with an infected employee. A further eight lions became infected, but recovered.^[1]

The Adventure World zoo is divided into several different areas and attractions:

• Safari World: Carnivore Zone, Herbivore Zone
• Panda Love: Giant panda exhibition facility
• Breeding Center: Giant panda breeding facility
• Wanwan Garden: Dogs ('Wanwan' is an onomatopoeia for a dogs bark)
• Fureai Square: Pygmy hippopotami, capybaras, small monkeys, chimpanzees, birds (such as parakeets), etc.
• Flamingo Square: Flamingos and red pandas
• Elephant Fureai Square: Asian elephants
• Horse Camp: Horses and birds of prey

Adventure World operates as the Japanese branch of the Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base in Chengdu, China.^[2] The giant panda breeding research project had successfully bred 17 giant pandas by September 2018,^[3] the highest number in the world both in terms of live births and mature offspring maintained outside of mainland China. As of September 12, 2018, Adventure World was home to 6 of the 10 captive pandas in Japan; Ueno Zoo had three, and Kobe Oji Zoo had one.

Panda Love, the park's panda center, provides an open area where pandas can roam at will. All the giant pandas currently in captivity, including offspring, are owned by the Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base.

The Giant Pandas at the park are a massive tourism attraction for Shirahama, known colloquially as 'The Panda Town'.^[4]

On July 11, 2019, The Wakayama Prefectural Police named the Giant Panda Saihama "Traffic Safety Wakayama Dream Ambassador" (交通安全和歌山夢大使) to raise awareness for road traffic safety. Saihama appeared in posters and promotional products to raise awareness for traffic safety. In July 2022, as part of the "Wakayama Summer Traffic Safety Movement", Ayahama became the new mascot of the campaign.^[5]

All pandas born at the research base have names that carry the suffix hin (浜) (e.g., Rauhin). Eimei fathered 14 pandas, except for the 1st (Yoshihama), and the 6th panda, who died shortly after birth. Eimei gave birth to Ranbao (male) in 2002 at the Lanzhou Zoo in China via artificial insemination from Ran and Shulan (twin sisters born from Umeume), but he died on August 30, 2012.

(In order of birth, regardless of transfer date)

In March 2011, Wakayama Prefecture Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka gave the title of Wakayama Prefecture Honore to three pandas: Eimei, Rauhan, and Meimei.

This followed the Tama Stationmaster at Kishi Station on the Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line, and acted as a recognition and tribute to the nationwide dissemination of the charm of Wakayama Prefecture by increasing the number of panda families.^[12]

• Sea Animal Museum: Polar bear, penguin, seal exhibitions in an indoor aquarium.
• Penguin Kingdom: Penguins and sea otters.
• Big Ocean: Dolphin and whale shows.
• Marine Wave: Contact events with dolphins.
• Animal Land: Sea Lion and otter shows.

The dolphin and whale show, called "Marine Live", is held in a pool with a tank capacity of 10,000,000 litres (2,642,000 US gal). The tank has a width of 47 m (154 ft), a length of 21 m (69 ft), and a depth of 8 m (26 ft).^[13] The show features an original soundtrack, sold within the park.^[14] A sea lion show is also held under the name "Animal Action".^[15]

On October 20, 2009, Adventure World announced the arrival of a baby female polar bear named Mirai, born on October 13. Mirai died on May 16, 2014.

In 2013, a male polar bear was born. Following the death of a male polar bear from liver cancer in 2014, it was decided to borrow the male polar bear Gogo from Tennōji Zoo in March 2015.^[16]

Eight species of penguins are exhibited (emperor penguins, king penguins, gentoo penguins, Adélie penguins, chinstrap penguins, rockhopper penguins, cape penguins, and fairy penguins).

Approximately 470 birds have been bred, which is one of the largest amounts in the world. In particular, the breeding of emperor penguins has been successful.^[17][18] On October 1, 2019, the facility hatched its 13th emperor penguin chick.^[19]

The killer whale show at Adventure World was once famous but ceased after the death of the last killer whale in 2005.

Adventure World's first killer whale, Kianu (female, body length 6 m (20 ft), weight 3 t), was brought from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California five days before the opening of the amusement park in 1978.^[20] Some time afterwards, only Goro (a male brought from Taiji, Wakayama in 1985) remained, but fell ill on 18 January 2005 and died on March 21 at 9:20 pm. Other orcas, including Benkei, Ushiwaka, Ruka, and Ai, were also bred intermittently. Four eggs and sets of sperm from Ruka, Goro, Ran, and Kyu, collected before they died, have been preserved in preparation for future artificial insemination.^[20]

Adventure World also features an Amusement Park section called 'Play Zone'. The area features a number of attractions, including:^[21]

• Ocean View Ferris Wheel
• Big Adventure Rollercoaster
• Merry-Go-Round
• Space Fighter
• Highway Cart (Go-Karts)
• Animal Fantasy (Teacups)
• Wakuwaku Kids Jungle (Jungle gym)

The park features both indoor and outdoor attractions.^[21]

An educational facility for the training of zookeepers connected to the park opened in 2000. Located on the Adventure World site, it is the only facility in Japan where trainees receive specialised daily animal training in the park from keepers.

The Academy offers a two-year wildlife management programme and a one-year wildlife short-term programme. Programmes also include basic veterinary medicine, biology, and zoology. Classes are also offered in English, business, hospitality, and Zoo management. In the final year, trainees conduct research on an animal within the park.

The academy works closely with the AWS Zoological Academy in the United States and Australia. Graduates are active in animal breeding sites all over Japan.

• Giant pandas around the world
• List of giant pandas

• Official Site (in Japanese)
• Official Site (in English)

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