General News

Polar Bear ‘Peace’ Turns 26, Celebrated by Fans from Across Country

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:48 JST, December 7, 2025

MATSUYAMA – Japan’s oldest bottle-fed polar bear is turning 26 this month, and fans from all over Japan have flocked to the Tobe Zoological Park in Ehime Prefecture to celebrate at her birthday party.

Peace, a female polar bear, overcame hardships after being separated from her mother, which required her to be bottle-fed by zookeepers, and has been adored by the zoo’s visitors.

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Zookeeper Atsuhiro Takaichi, 55, who has been in charge of caring for Peace since she was born, still looks after her in her old age.

At the birthday party, Takaichi expressed his gratitude to the about 500 visitors who came to see Peace.

“Peace is doing well,” he said. “We will continue to be by her side, so please continue to watch over her kindly.”

To celebrate her birthday, fans sent about 110 gifts to the zoo, including apples and seal oil. Peace ate a special 40-centimeter-high ice cake filled with her favorite foods like apples and salmon.