Worldwide care for wombats
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JULY 2015 | Joanne Eisemann
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Yoko Tamura, a zookeeper for Satsukiyama Zoo in Ikeda, which is Launceston’s sister city in Japan, is spending her annual holiday of 10 days volunteering at Trowunna.
The park had partnered with her zoo to assist in the first successful breeding of wombats outside Australia in 1991 and Yoko has made several trips to Trowunna to learn more about the care of wombats since.
“I was here two years ago (to see) how to take care of wombats. (And I had) a lot of great experiences here, so I just want (the) same thing (this present trip),” she explains. “I just love wombats. I just love Australia. I just love Trowunna. I just love Tasmania.”
But there is a deeper reason for Yoko’s visit; she is keen to effect change in Japanese zoo culture as “in Japan there are many zoos not like Trowunna, not like (an) Australian zoo. Some Japanese zoos are really good, with really good keepers. (But) most zoos are still ‘classic’ zoos and (are) no good for animals.”
Yet her love for wildlife has led her to work with them in Japan, with the sad determination to keep wondering what she should do to make things better for them in her country’s zoos.
This is not easy as “Japanese culture is very different (from that in a) western country.” The people of Japan “must respect (their) elders (and Yoko’s) boss does not like (her) having (a) different opinion.” Even then she “wants to try to make change in (her) zoo.”
More information about Trowunna Wildlife Park can be found at http://trowunna. com.au/
[udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores