Animal Keeper's Association of Africa

Here is the official announcement from JAZA as follows.

Dear Colleagues around the world,

Thank you very much for your concern for the earthquakes that was happened on March 11. As you might already know, we got the huge damage in the north part of Japan. Currently we are making effort to get understanding of the situation of our member institutions. We already know that some aquariums in Tohoku area (north part of Honshu island) got the damages, but most of our members have no problem.

JAZA will cooperate with the member institutions and make effort for the restoration of the damaged institutions. Please kindly give us your cooperation and support. If you need further detailed information about our members, please contact to Kanako Nishimoto ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Best regards,
Shigeyuki Yamamoto
The Chair of JAZA

Dear All,

So far we could collect the following information about the earthquake and tsunami damage on the JAZA member institutions.

Most of zoos and aquariums in Japan are holding up well.

Miraculously there are no reports of human damage.

Fukushima aquarium flooded to the second floor. All the staff were evacuated at third floor. Life support system was broken down, and fishes died off. But marine mammals are still alive.

Sendai Marinpia Matsushima aquarium was completely-flooded but miraculously no human damage. We do not have any updated information about them.

Sendai Yagiyama Zoo estimates a shortage of feeding stuff. The power is out in Sendai city. JAZA office is trying to coordinate suitable arrangements. But many roads are cut off and transportation network was destroyed. Express ways are actually only transportation route for relief materiel, but traffic is restricted. Only search and rescue unit, emergency food transporter and Self-Defense Forces can take express way.

The power is also out at Akita Omoriyama zoo, Morioka Zoo, Asamushi aquarium and Hitachi Kamine Zoo.

Government still can not figure out the number of casualties of the disaster.

More than ten thousand people are reported missing at one of the town near Sendai city. And about three hundreds dead bodies were found on the beach in Sendai city.

We are shifting from first step "collecting information" to the next step "assistance to the disaster-affected institution".

JAZA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002133978979

For your information.

Best regards,
Kazu
Kazutoshi Takami, D.V.M., Ph.D., Dipl.J.C.Z.W.M.
Zoo Veterinarian / Curator
International Hooded Crane Studbook Keeper