MySinchew news
written by AFP staff
Thursday June 21, 2012
TOKYO - Zookeepers in Japan were Thursday hunting a group of squirrels that made a break for freedom under cover of a powerful typhoon.
About 30 of the bushy-tailed creatures saw their chance when typhoon Guchol felled a tree near their enclosure at Tokyo's Inokashira Park Zoo, cutting a hole in the netting that held them captive.
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France24 news
written by AFP staff
Friday June 29, 2012
A Japanese zoo that seemingly caught more squirrels than it lost denied any mystery behind the mismatch Friday, saying it did not know how many animals it had because they "keep reproducing".
Tokyo's Inokashira Park Zoo originally said about 30 of the bushy-tailed rodents had made a break for it when a typhoon brought a tree down on their enclosure.
A week later keepers announced they had recaptured 38 animals and were continuing to receive up to five sightings a day, prompting speculation that wild squirrels were among their number.
But on Friday, zoo official Hiroshi Mashima said it was likely the number of runaway rodents had been higher than originally thought.
"We say more than 40 squirrels must have gotten away in the first place," said Mashima, a zoo educator specialising in animal biology. "There are no wild squirrels inhabiting this area. That is for sure."
Mashima said it was not possible to be precise because detailed records of the number of squirrels kept in the enclosure were not available.
The zoo does not know exactly how many squirrels it has "because they are difficult to catch and they keep reproducing", he said.
By Friday, 39 squirrels were back in captivity.
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