Oita: Pair of Armadillos Stroll Around Aquarium to Keep Weight

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:14 JST, June 1, 2024

OITA — A pair of armadillos kept at an aquarium in Oita regularly take walks inside the building, delighting visitors.

The six-banded armadillos are around 5 to 6 years old and walk around the Umitamago aquarium as a way to get some exercise. One is a female named Yashiko, and the other is a male named Yoichi. The caretakers hope that they can maintain a weight of six kilograms.

Videos and pictures of them strolling by large water tanks and by the feet of visitors have become popular on social media.

Of the two, Yashiko is gentle and laid-back and does not mind if people touch her.

“The body was warm when I touched it,” said a 27-year-old woman from Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. “I was surprised that its skin felt like a tatami mat. It was a precious experience.”

Caretaker Takashi Kozaki said, “I will be glad if they have children sometime in the future.”