AOAO SAPPORO Collaborates with Shibecha Town, Hokkaido, on Conservation Activities through Comprehensive Partnership Agreement; Permanent Exhibition of Natural Monument Amphibian "Siberian Salamander" to Begin May 11

AOAO SAPPORO, an urban aquarium in Sapporo (Location: Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido; Director: Masao Yamauchi), will begin a permanent exhibition of the "Siberian salamander," a natural monument designated by Shibecha Town, Hokkaido, starting Monday, May 11, 2026.

[(Left) Siberian salamander egg sac, (Right) Scene from the survey site in Shibecha Town]

AOAO SAPPORO has been collaborating with Shibecha Town, Hokkaido, with which it has a comprehensive partnership agreement, on conservation activities for the "Siberian salamander," a natural monument designated by the town, since April 2025. In 2025, in cooperation with the Shibecha Town Museum "Nitai-to," they conducted habitat surveys and collected egg sacs. After storing and raising them at AOAO SAPPORO, approximately 200 individuals were eventually released.

This year, the second year of the project, Siberian salamander egg sacs collected by a curator from the Shibecha Town Museum "Nitai-to" will be exhibited at AOAO SAPPORO 4F "LABORATORY." By exhibiting them from the egg sac stage, visitors can observe the process and appearance of the Siberian salamander hatching and growing.

The "Siberian salamander" inhabits areas such as the Kushiro Wetlands and is designated as Endangered IB on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List. Most of the juveniles raised at AOAO SAPPORO and that have undergone metamorphosis will be released around summer 2026 at the same location where the egg sacs were collected.

AOAO SAPPORO, together with Shibecha Town, Hokkaido, aims to restore the population of the "Siberian salamander," a symbol of the Kushiro Wetlands, and will continue to deepen its collaboration to promote the charm of Hokkaido's nature and its creatures.

About the "Siberian salamander"

Species name: Siberian salamander English name: Siberian salamander Scientific name: Salamandrella keyserlingii An amphibian measuring approximately 11-13 cm in total length, inhabiting limited areas in Japan such as the Kushiro Wetlands. It is characterized by a golden stripe pattern running down the center of its back.

AOAO SAPPORO began collaborating with Shibecha Town, Hokkaido, on conservation activities for the "Siberian salamander," a natural monument designated by the town, in April 2025. In 2025, they stored and raised them at AOAO SAPPORO until mid-August, and after metamorphosis, approximately 200 individuals were released on August 25 under the supervision of a curator from the Shibecha Town Museum "Nitai-to."

[Siberian salamander]

* Conservation activities conducted at AOAO SAPPORO: https://aoao-sapporo.blue/forfield/ * About the Zoo Ordinance: https://www.city.sapporo.jp/zoo/ordinance/index.html

About the Hokkaido Native Species Conservation Project

This project is jointly carried out by nine zoos and aquariums in Hokkaido that are members of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), aiming to actively conduct surveys, research, and public awareness activities for the conservation of Hokkaido's wild animals. In the "Wakuwaku Stamp Rally 2024" hosted by this project, which ran until March 2025, AOAO SAPPORO installed a stamp featuring the "Siberian salamander" design. * Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hokkaidousan.ikimono

[AOAO SAPPORO's "Siberian salamander" stamp]

About Shibecha Town

Shibecha Town, located in eastern Hokkaido, has a total area of 1,099.37 square kilometers (half the size of Tokyo) and is rich in natural environments where valuable flora and fauna inhabit, including two national parks, "Kushiro Shitsugen National Park" and "Akan Mashu National Park," and "Akkeshi-Kirittapu-Konbumori Quasi-National Park." Its primary industry is dairy farming, producing and selling milk and various dairy products, as well as a variety of specialty products utilizing its vast nature, such as brand beef, sheep, and deer. * Shibecha Town: https://hokkaido.shibecha.jp/

[Shibecha Town Emblem]

About "Aquarium Club (Annual Pass)"

The "Aquarium Club" is a membership system for enjoying the aquarium on a daily basis. Members receive priority participation in biological experience programs and events, benefits for some menu items at "Shirokuma Bakery &," and discounts and benefits at participating stores in the commercial facility "moyuk SAPPORO." Members receive an AOAO SAPPORO annual pass, and if they renew before the expiration date, they can continue at a discounted rate of up to 20% off.

[Experience Program Image]

* About Aquarium Club: https://aoao-sapporo.blue/ticket/