Chewbacca on a snowy day

We had the heaviest snowfall in a few years in Tokyo where Chewbacca lived
on December 9th in 2002.
I have been very curisous about Chewbacca on a snowy day for a long time.
I finally decided to go to see him on the following morning.

The walkway in front of Chewbacca's enclosure

　　
There's "much" snow in Chewbacca's enclosure

By the way, Chebacca was....

.....eating pellets in his hut at about ten when I arrived.

closing in　

After ten minutes or so, he went down to the door of his room
and appealed to the keeper to let him go into the room.

(He seems to be fond of the house on a routine basis.)

Whereupon....... The door was opened a little from the inside of the room.
It doesn't usually open at a time like this, though.
No sooner than the door opened, Chewbacca opened it fully with his right forefoot and entered his room.

After the door slightly opened, he opend it by himself.

　He hurried back home.

　The door was kept open for forty or fifty minutes like this.

* According to the keepers, they allow Chewbacca to go in and out freely depending on the weather.

* * * * *

Touching scene of Chewbacca coming out of his room

It was also fun to figure out what Chewbacca was doing inside the room
even though he didn't come into sight.
　Luckily he showed himself at the doorway twice for a duration of 40-50 minutes.

It was the first time that I saw him come out of his room.
You usually can't see Chewbacca come out of his room
because they make him go out and feed about thirty minutes before the zoo opens.

I wonder if it's about time for me to go out....


　It's cold and wet here.....

　








I wonder if I'll give up going out....

(He soon went back into the room.)

After twenty minutes,
when the keeper looked into Chewbacca's room at the metal gate, Chewbacca.....

　Chewbacca came out.









He found that the keeper was at the gate and jumped with joy.
The keeper closed the door while Chewbacca was jumping.

(Chewbacca, you were shut out of your room, weren't you?)

The door had already been locked when Chewbacca calmed down and wanted to go back into the room.
Poor Chewbacca, too late!


It's impossible for you to try to open the door with your mouth (or nose), because the door is locked.)

* The keeper perhaps made Chewbacca go out and locked the door for me because only I stayed there for a long time.
Was Chewbacca kept out of the room owing to me?
Or was it about time for you to come out as it was growing warmer?

Sorry, Chewbacca! You should have liked to stay in your room.

Chewbacca and snow

Chewbacca gave up entering the room and began to move on the snow.　


Digging snow instead of the soil


Before digging(left) / After a little digging(right)
(It looks almost the same, but it varies slightly with snow at his foot.)
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


Chewbacca's footprints


　What are you looking at, Chewbacca?


I looked down the trench, but decided not to go down.

Walking on the snow

　

Back and forth

　

In his hut

	I wonder if I'll eat hay.....
	I wonder if I'll come down from here....
	Looking down and
	Thinking
	He seems to have second thoughts.
	He came out from the other side.

* * * * *

It's about time to take a nap.

I keep awake yet, though.

I began to feel sleepy......

I won't sleep yet.

Impossible! I'm dropping off to sleep.......

Soon he changed his position and fell asleep.

* * * * *

I have been at Chewbacca's enclosure for one and half hours in the morning
Only one person passed by Chewbacca's enclosure while I was there.
I wonder what time Chewbacca went back home that day?

Chewbacca, I was happy to see you today.
I hope you'll be fine though it gets colder and colder now.



*I found that it was difficult for me to photograph Chewbacca on a snowy day, because the snow reflected off the glass badly.



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