"Monkeys Sometimes Run Away Too"... A Message from a Japanese Zookeeper to Students That Resonates

"Even monkeys hide when faced with difficult situations"
"Sometimes you have to run away to survive"

A zookeeper at the world's largest primate-specialized zoo, the Japan Monkey Center, has shared a warm message of encouragement for students refusing to attend school. Having observed monkeys for a long time, the zookeeper encouraged the children by saying, "Humans can run away just like monkeys," resonating with the public.

Takada Akiyuki (29), a zookeeper at the South America Pavilion of the Japan Monkey Center, recently posted a lengthy article on the official blog. He revealed that the monkeys in the South America Pavilion he is in charge of sometimes crawl into small tree holes to hide.

One of the world's largest primate-specialized zoos, the "Japan Monkey Center" [Image source: Official website of Aichi Prefecture]

Explaining this behavior of the monkeys, he said, "Sometimes, to survive, it is necessary to run away or hide," adding, "(Monkeys do this, so) it would be strange if only humans couldn't."

He continued, "Animals do not always confront threats," and added, "Sometimes they stop, change direction, or try again later."

He said, "I have been maintaining the environment of the breeding room every day, hoping the zoo becomes a cozy place for children," but emphasized, "However, it doesn't matter if the zoo is not the place children visit. There are many places where people can learn, and there should be fascinating worlds that students can find interesting."

Japanese netizens who read Takada's post expressed empathy. Comments included, "Running away is sometimes necessary," "You can come back later. My friend used to refuse to attend school but has now safely graduated from university and found a job," "Running away from painful situations is, in a way, an animal instinct, but humans seem to have forgotten that," and "I hope they also teach what to do after running away."

The Monkey Center blog is known as a page where zookeepers record brief notes about their daily work experiences. However, Takada said he left a message for children after feeling saddened by recent news about the increasing number of students refusing to attend school during summer vacation.

In fact, the number of students refusing to attend school in Japan has reportedly been increasing every year. According to data compiled by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of students refusing to attend school in 2022 was 299,048, an increase of 54,108 from the previous year. Moreover, it is estimated that there are many more potential students refusing to attend school who are not included in the statistics.