- 14 Mar 2002
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Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido , internationally famous for its "behavioural displays" (kōdō tenji 行動展示), designed to show animals acting as they would in the wild through habitats built around their natural instincts, was supposed to open today after a two-week closure to prepare for the opening.
Police in Hokkaido are questioning an employee of Asahiyama Zoo in connection with the disappearance of his wife, after the man reportedly told investigators he placed her body in an incinerator at the zoo's animal crematorium and burned it for several hours. The man, a city employee in his 30s who works at the zoo in Asahikawa, is being questioned voluntarily, according to investigative sources. His wife, also in her 30s, has been missing since late March. The case surfaced this month when a person close to the woman contacted police after being unable to reach her.
According to sources, the man told investigators he abandoned her body in the incinerator used to cremate dead zoo animals. Police have not found a body, however, and are examining whether remains may have been reduced to ash. Investigators are also looking into statements said to suggest his involvement in her death, prompting police to consider the possibility of murder.
Searches have continued around the animal hospital facility where the incinerator is located. On 24 April, forensic investigators were again seen examining the area. Footage from the scene showed a light truck bearing the "Asahiyama ZOO" logo being taken into a warehouse at Asahikawa Higashi Police Station as the investigation deepened.
People familiar with the matter said the missing woman had sent smartphone messages to acquaintances before her disappearance, saying she was frightened because her husband had threatened her. Her whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities have not confirmed whether she is alive.
The case has drawn particular attention because of the setting. Asahiyama Zoo, one of Japan's best-known zoological parks, is internationally known for its kōdō tenji (行動展示), or "behavioural displays," which aim to show animals in environments that reflect natural behaviour. Founded in 1967, the zoo became widely influential in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries for exhibits such as its underwater penguin tunnel, the seals' "Marine Way" and the winter Penguin Walk. It had been closed for the past two weeks ahead of the start of the new season next Wednesday when the investigation unfolded.
Police have proceeded cautiously, treating the man's statements as claims to be verified rather than established facts. With no body recovered and many questions unresolved, investigators are continuing to piece together what happened to the missing woman.
mainichi.jp
Police in Hokkaido are questioning an employee of Asahiyama Zoo in connection with the disappearance of his wife, after the man reportedly told investigators he placed her body in an incinerator at the zoo's animal crematorium and burned it for several hours. The man, a city employee in his 30s who works at the zoo in Asahikawa, is being questioned voluntarily, according to investigative sources. His wife, also in her 30s, has been missing since late March. The case surfaced this month when a person close to the woman contacted police after being unable to reach her.
According to sources, the man told investigators he abandoned her body in the incinerator used to cremate dead zoo animals. Police have not found a body, however, and are examining whether remains may have been reduced to ash. Investigators are also looking into statements said to suggest his involvement in her death, prompting police to consider the possibility of murder.
Searches have continued around the animal hospital facility where the incinerator is located. On 24 April, forensic investigators were again seen examining the area. Footage from the scene showed a light truck bearing the "Asahiyama ZOO" logo being taken into a warehouse at Asahikawa Higashi Police Station as the investigation deepened.
People familiar with the matter said the missing woman had sent smartphone messages to acquaintances before her disappearance, saying she was frightened because her husband had threatened her. Her whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities have not confirmed whether she is alive.
The case has drawn particular attention because of the setting. Asahiyama Zoo, one of Japan's best-known zoological parks, is internationally known for its kōdō tenji (行動展示), or "behavioural displays," which aim to show animals in environments that reflect natural behaviour. Founded in 1967, the zoo became widely influential in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries for exhibits such as its underwater penguin tunnel, the seals' "Marine Way" and the winter Penguin Walk. It had been closed for the past two weeks ahead of the start of the new season next Wednesday when the investigation unfolded.
Police have proceeded cautiously, treating the man's statements as claims to be verified rather than established facts. With no body recovered and many questions unresolved, investigators are continuing to piece together what happened to the missing woman.
Asahiyama Zoo Worker Says He Dumped and Burned Wife's Body
A male employee of Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, has told investigators that he disposed of his wife's body in the zoo's incinerator and burned it for several hours, police said, as officers continued voluntary questioning of the man in his 30s, according to sources close to the...
newsonjapan.com
Hokkaido zoo worker suspected of dumping woman's body in incinerator - The Mainichi
SAPPORO (Kyodo) -- Japanese police are questioning a zoo worker on suspicion of leaving a woman's body in an incinerator at the animal crematorium at
