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YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – Wednesday, May 20, 2009 – Proboscis Monkey (two males and three females) reared in Indonesia’s “Surabaya Zoo” have recently been brought in to join Yokohama Zoological Gardens “ZOORASIA” (located at 1175-1, Kamishirane-cho, Asahi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture). This entering was made possible following a mutual agreement made in 2007 to exchange breeding technologies for the Proboscis Monkey between the Botanical and Zoological Society of Surabaya and “ZOORASIA” under the Republic of Indonesia government approval. Hereafter, both zoos will cooperate with the breeding of Proboscis Monkey. “ZOORASIA” becomes Japan’s only proboscis monkey rearing institution. The City of Yokohama and the Republic of Indonesia have also been jointly working for some time now in order to release “Rothschild's Mynah”, a bird endemic to Bali, into the wild.
Proboscis Monkey is a rare monkey that inhabits Borneo Island, and an adult male monkey is characterized by a meaty nose of a long-nosed goblin. According to “the Red List of the Threatened Species” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Proboscis Monkey are classified in "the Endangered Species" with a higher risk of extinction in the near future. In addition, due to a habitat decrease, there are only less than estimated 10,000 population in Kalimantan (Indonesian territory of Borneo Island). Proboscis Monkey is reared only in “ZOORASIA” in Japan, while only a few foreign zoos reared them as well, such as those in Indonesia and in Singapore.
The City of Yokohama places their initiative of breeding and exhibition of the precious animals as part of the international contribution activities, and expects that these activities will provide an opportunity for people of Yokohama to start thinking about environmental conservation issues on a global scale.
Proboscis Monkey will be opened to the public on Sunday, June 7, when an official public opening ceremony will be held, inviting the Republic of Indonesia Ambassador to Japan and relevant officials from Indonesia.
【About “Proboscis Monkey public opening ceremony”】
Date： 11:00a.m. - 11:30a.m., on Sunday, June 7, 2009
Venue： Special site at Aussie Hill open space, Yokohama Zoological Gardens “ZOORASIA”
Program： Greetings by the Republic of Indonesia Ambassador to Japan, Introduction of “Proboscis Monkey” by the director of “ZOORASIA”, Tape-cutting, Naming ceremony, etc.
※ The ceremony will be conducted in Japanese.
【 About “Proboscis Monkey” 】
【Class/Order/Family】 Mammalia / Primate / Cercopithecidae
【Ecology】 Inhabit riverine forests, coastal lowland forests including the mangrove swamps/forests of Borneo Island. A kind of the primate having a long tail. This name owes to its meaty nose of adult male, which hangs down to a chin like a long-nosed goblin. The female nose is short. Males weight about 20kg and females weight about 10kg. Length from the tip of nose to the roots of the tail is 76cm, and a female is much smaller than a male. They live mainly on a tree by a group and eat leaves and fruits. It is well known that they are good at swimming. Their back is red with a tinge of chestnut, while their stomach and a face are mixed with brown and white colors. It is estimated that less than 10,000 population habitat in Kalimantan (Indonesian territory of Borneo Island).
【 About “ZOORASIA” 】
“ZOORASIA”, Yokohama Zoological Gardens was established in 1999 (April 24th) with a main theme of “Symbiosis of life” and “Harmony with nature”. The name “ZOORASIA” is a compound word of “ZOO” and “EURASIA”, which brings up the image of extensive nature, selected from the public recruitment in autumn of 1996. The first area of “ZOORASIA” was open in April 1999, within the premises of Yokohama Dobutsu-no Mori Park and the area keeps expanding since then. In April 2009, “Chimpanzee’s Forest” opened in the zone of African Tropical Rain Forest. Current total area is 40.7 hectares and when the entire area opens, it will become the largest class of zoo in Japan with approximately 53.3 hectares.
【Opening Hours】 9:30a.m. - 4:30p.m. （entrance no later than 4:00p.m.）
【Closed days】 Tuesdays （Open in case of holiday and closed on following Wed.）, 12/29 - 1/1
※ Days scheduled to be open on Tuesdays:
<2009> Every Tuesdays in May, 6/2, 7/7, 14, 28, 8/4, 11, 25, 9/1, 8, 22, 29, Every Tuesdays in October, 11/3, <2010> 3/30
【Admission fee】 Adults (18 years up) \600, Juniors (high school students) \300, Children (elementary and junior high school students) \200, Free for under elementary school students
【 Inquiries 】
Parks and Green Space Management Division, City of Yokohama TEL：+81-45-671-2607
ZOORASIA TEL：+81-45-959-1297