ABSTRACT
The Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo receives eight million visitors a year - more than any other zoo in the world, except perhaps those in Peking and Mexico City. The Zoo is situated in Ueno Park, near the main university and the University of Arts. It is also close to most of Tokyo's leading scientific and cultural exhibitions, including the National Science Museum. It is part of the cultural heart of the vast conurbation of Greater Tokyo. The Zoo suffered severely, and in 1946 animal numbers had been reduced to some three hundred, or about a fifth of the pre-war stock. The post-war history of the Tokyo Zoo was marked by three major events - the creation of a satellite park in 1958, the opening of a new Aquarium in 1964, and the gift of a pair of giant pandas in 1972.
