Hassaku, popular fox at Morioka zoo, dies aged 11 of liver failure
In short
Hassaku (はっさく), a male Hondo fox kept at Morioka City Zoological Park ZOOMO, died in late September at age 11, according to a Kyodo report carried by Nikkei. Visitors and social media users knew it for running around its enclosure in winter fur, and the zoo has received many messages of farewell.
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Hassaku (はっさく), a male Hondo fox (ホンドギツネ) kept at Morioka City Zoological Park ZOOMO, died in late September at the age of 11, according to a Kyodo report carried by Nikkei on October 22. Nishi-Nippon Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun published reports with the same headline on October 21. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to the zoo, Hassaku was elderly. Wild Hondo foxes live three to five years and captive ones about 10 years. Hassaku fell ill at the start of September and was treated, but its appetite did not return. It was found dead on the morning of September 23, and the cause of death was liver failure. [ 3 ]
Hassaku was taken in near the zoo in May 2015 together with Remon (れもん), a male believed to be its brother. Both were still cubs and were raised by staff through hand-feeding before joining the zoo. [ 3 ]
Zoo spokeswoman Atsuko Mori (森敦子) said Hassaku's face, with a nose line like a Shiba dog and gentle eyes, was easy to tell apart. In the enclosure, while other foxes curled up and stayed still, Hassaku climbed onto a platform and showed visitors and staff various expressions, she said. [ 3 ]
In winter fur, Hassaku ran around holding corn and carrots, and many fans came to take photos and videos. These were often posted and spread on social media under the hashtag "Hassaku Marathon" (はっさくマラソン). [ 3 ]
Many messages of farewell have reached the zoo. A flower-laying stand in front of the enclosure holds colourful bouquets and photos with messages such as "I hope you can run your marathon in the sky too" and "Stay well beyond the rainbow." Mori said she thinks Hassaku was truly loved by everyone and lived out its life as an "ambassador" conveying the appeal of foxes. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The coverage is a local human-interest story about a zoo animal that had a following among visitors and on social media. The documents give no wider consequences.
Key facts
- Hassaku, a male Hondo fox (ホンドギツネ) at Morioka City Zoological Park ZOOMO, died at age 11. [ 3 ]
- The zoo said Hassaku was found dead on the morning of September 23 after falling ill earlier that month; the cause of death was liver failure. [ 3 ]
- Hassaku was taken in near the zoo in May 2015 together with a male believed to be its brother, Remon (れもん), and was raised by staff through hand-feeding. [ 3 ]
- Photos and videos of Hassaku running in winter fur were often shared on social media under the hashtag "Hassaku Marathon" (はっさくマラソン). [ 3 ]
- A flower-laying stand in front of the enclosure holds bouquets and messages from visitors. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact date of death is given only as late September, with the body found on the morning of September 23. Only the Nikkei text, a Kyodo report, gives these details; the other two documents carry only headlines.
- Details of the illness, the cause of death and the zoo's account of Hassaku's age come from one article. Documents 1 and 2 have no article text, so these points are not independently confirmed.