A rare lizard that was evacuated from a Ukrainian zoo due to the Russian military invasion is exhibited at a zoo in Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, and is popular with visitors.
This lizard is an "armadillo lizard" native to South Africa and is exhibited at the reptile zoo "Izzu" in Kawazu Town.
They were kept at a private zoo in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, but due to the Russian military invasion, power outages frequently occurred and they could not be kept, and the zoo consulted with them last November, so they have been preparing to accept them.
It arrived in Japan on the 11th of this month and has been on display at the zoo since the 15st.
The lizards on display are pairs, about 21 cm long, covered with armor-like scales all over their bodies, and curled up like armadillos when they feel threatened.
Visitors peered into the case with interest.
Parents and children who visited said, "I came from a place where there was a war, and I hope that the war will end soon and I can go home."
Nachi Watanabe, who is in charge of breeding, said, "We evacuated for human reasons, but we aim to breed at our zoo.