By RIKURI KURODA/ Staff Writer
November 21, 2024 at 18:32 JST
A piece of apple proves a tantalizing treat at Osaka Tennoji Zoo on Oct. 17. (Rikuri Kuroda)
OSAKA—Authorities here are seeking to prosecute a zookeeper who is suspected of repeatedly stealing food intended for the animals at Osaka Tennoji Zoo.
Osaka prefectural police here sent papers on the suspect in his 40s to prosecutors, investigative sources said.
The man, who has been working as a zookeeper for more than 10 years, allegedly stole fruits and vegetables that were prepared for animals at a kitchen of the zoo on Oct. 1.
He admitted to swiping the animal’s food when questioned in an investigation conducted by the zoo, the sources said. He is also believed to have perpetrated earlier food thefts.
The zoo said the suspect likely stole the food for his own consumption, but his motive remains unknown.
1,000 STOMACHS TO FEED
Osaka Tennoji Zoo keeps about 1,000 animals of 170 species on its approximately 11-hectare site.
The zoo opened in 1915 and is the third oldest in Japan, following Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo and Kyoto City Zoo.
About 1.71 million people visited Tennoji Zoo in fiscal 2023, compared with 3.26 million for Ueno zoo.
Tennoji Zoo provides its animals with more than 100 types of food, such as meat, fish and grasses. Its vegetables include Chinese cabbage and sweet potatoes, while apples and bananas are some of the fruits it supplies.
Most of the fruits and vegetables prepared for the animals can be eaten by humans.
Kiyoshi Yasufuku, deputy director of the zoo, said the zoo provides the animals with fresh food because they have an acute sense of smell and will avoid old or spoiled items.
It was unclear if higher prices at the grocery store led the zookeeper to take the animals’ food. But inflation in recent years has had a clear impact on the zoo’s finances.
The zoo spent more than 250,000 yen ($1,613) per day for about 82 kilograms of vegetables and 34 kg of fruits to feed the animals in fiscal 2023. That was an increase of 20,000 yen over the daily expenses in fiscal 2021.
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