My Everyday Life (Safari Park)

I am a single mother of two children, a 6-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. On my days off, we go out and have fun together. Our favorite places to visit are safari parks. Although we live in Tokyo, we take day trips to Fuji Safari Park, Gunma Safari Park, and Nasu Safari Park. We leave on the first train in the morning. When we have time for an overnight trip, we visit places like the African Safari in Oita or Izu Cactus Park.

At the safari park, we spend most of the time feeding the animals. I don’t drive (I’m a Gold license holder), so we ride the safari bus. On the safari bus, we get to feed large animals like lions, bears, and giraffes. I remember when my son was about 2 years old, he was scared of the lions and didn’t want to feed them, but now, he’s feeding them directly into their mouths, and it makes me feel how much he’s grown.

After we complete a round on the safari bus, it’s time to feed the kids. They’re not fond of curry or hamburgers, so I try to give them more sophisticated choices like sashimi or stewed dishes, and they eat a lot.

Once the kids finish eating, we feed the smaller animals. We give carrots and grass to kangaroos, capybaras, rabbits, and horses.

The best experience I’ve had at a safari park so far was playing with the ring-tailed lemurs at the Cactus Park!

When we’re satisfied, we head back around 7 PM on the shinkansen or another train. Usually, both kids fall asleep during the ride, so I relax and enjoy a beer.

It’s a happy, everyday life.

Yoshiko Kuno