North Safari Sapporo to Shut Down by September—Future of Animals Left Uncertain Amid Illegal Operations
After ignoring administrative guidance for over 20 years, the president resigned in a blitz. The place to accept over 500 animals has yet to be decided. ......
From illegal operations to sudden closure
“North Safari Sapporo had built animal enclosures and shops in an urbanization control area, where, in principle, commercial facilities are not allowed. This violation of the City Planning Act had been ongoing since before the park’s opening in 2004. Sapporo City issued a total of 17 administrative warnings, both written and verbal, to the operating company, Success Kanko, but they continued operations regardless,” said Shuichi Tsubota, director of Sapporo City’s Development Guidance Division.
However, on March 10, after more than 20 years of illegal operations, North Safari Sapporo suddenly announced on its website that the company president had resigned and that the park would close by the end of September.
“After Yomiuri Shimbun exposed the illegal operations on February 1, the president disappeared. Even the city doesn’t know where he is now,” said a local newspaper reporter.
One week before the sudden closure announcement—FRIDAY’s reporter was on-site at North Safari Sapporo.
The “Animal Glamping” area, where guests could interact with animals like flying squirrels and huskies, was nearly deserted. But the winter sports area, offering experiences like dog sledding, still had about ten tourists. A group of six people was enjoying a snowmobile pulling a banana boat across the snow, their laughter echoing in the peaceful atmosphere.
Animals being pushed around
However, the current situation at the park is far from peaceful. Over 500 animals from more than 150 species kept at the facility still have no confirmed destination. Ayako Nagano, head of the Living Environment Division at the Sapporo City Public Health Office, sighed as she explained:
“There are countless factors to assess before animals can be transferred—what kind of food they’ve been given, how they were raised, and so on. For species like lions and seals, more than a month of quarantine is required to ensure they’re not carrying infectious diseases. It’s not as simple as just moving them from one place to another.”
When asked whether they had been approached to accept animals from North Safari, three of the four major zoos in Hokkaido—Asahiyama, Obihiro, and Maruyama—said they had received no such inquiry (Kushiro Zoo did not respond).
An inquiry to Success Kanko’s office was also met with a dead end—the public relations manager simply said, “Please speak with our legal counsel.” That lawyer, however, did not respond by the deadline.
The future of the animals remains uncertain. In this poorly handled and selfish closure, the city, its residents, and most of all, the animals, are the ones being caught in the turmoil.
From “FRIDAY” April 4 and 11, 2025
