**A sunfish at the Kaikyokan aquarium in Japan found comfort in cardboard cutouts of humans while its aquarium was closed for renovations. The initiative proved successful in improving the fish's health and wellbeing.**
**Sunfish Finds Companionship in Cardboard Humans During Aquarium Closure**
**Sunfish Finds Companionship in Cardboard Humans During Aquarium Closure**
**A creative solution emerged as Japan's Kaikyokan aquarium caters to a lonely sunfish struggling with its health.**
The Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture, has adopted a unique method to alleviate the loneliness of a sunfish, whose health declined during the temporary closure of the facility for renovations. Displaying cardboard figures of human faces attached to uniforms, the aquarium hoped to console its aquatic resident, which seemed to miss its visitors.
This peculiar intervention was deemed a "last resort" after aquarium staff observed worrying changes in the fish’s behavior. The sunfish had stopped consuming jellyfish and began rubbing its body against the tank walls. Initially suspected to be suffering from parasites or digestive problems, a staff member suggested the unusual theory that the fish was simply lonely, lacking the usual human interactions it enjoyed.
Notably, the effort seems to have paid off. The next day after the new “friends” were introduced, the aquarium reported that the sunfish appeared healthier and more active, displaying happier behaviors such as waving its fins. The aquarium community praised the initiative on social media, sharing fond memories and photos from past visits, while also planning to return once renovations are complete.
Typically, sunfish are not frequently kept in aquariums due to their specific care requirements. However, this particular sunfish, measuring around 80 centimeters and weighing 30 kilograms, had developed a personality that attracted human attention when it was introduced to the aquarium last year.
The Kaikyokan aquarium is not alone in its creative measures; during the pandemic, another Tokyo aquarium also orchestrated video calls for its eels, suspected of feeling isolated from human contact. The innovative approaches taken highlight a growing awareness in animal welfare within the aquarium community.
This peculiar intervention was deemed a "last resort" after aquarium staff observed worrying changes in the fish’s behavior. The sunfish had stopped consuming jellyfish and began rubbing its body against the tank walls. Initially suspected to be suffering from parasites or digestive problems, a staff member suggested the unusual theory that the fish was simply lonely, lacking the usual human interactions it enjoyed.
Notably, the effort seems to have paid off. The next day after the new “friends” were introduced, the aquarium reported that the sunfish appeared healthier and more active, displaying happier behaviors such as waving its fins. The aquarium community praised the initiative on social media, sharing fond memories and photos from past visits, while also planning to return once renovations are complete.
Typically, sunfish are not frequently kept in aquariums due to their specific care requirements. However, this particular sunfish, measuring around 80 centimeters and weighing 30 kilograms, had developed a personality that attracted human attention when it was introduced to the aquarium last year.
The Kaikyokan aquarium is not alone in its creative measures; during the pandemic, another Tokyo aquarium also orchestrated video calls for its eels, suspected of feeling isolated from human contact. The innovative approaches taken highlight a growing awareness in animal welfare within the aquarium community.
