A diary written by the animal care staff! The growth diary of the sea lion "Chinowa" ① - Birth and various challenges -

Chinowa, a South American fur seal born on June 30, 2025, will soon be celebrating her first birthday!
Chinowa's animal care staff, Onoji, who has watched her grow since her birth, will share some stories about her development!

■Vicky is pregnant! The thrilling moment of childbirth

At the end of March 2025, Vicky's pregnancy was discovered during a routine check-up. The gestation period for sea lions is approximately one year, and it was determined that the baby was due to be born around mid-July. Regular ultrasound examinations had been monitoring the healthy growth of the baby inside Vicky's womb.

While spending time with Vicky, I paid particular attention to the nuances of her physical condition. Based on Vicky's past pregnancy and childbirth experiences, I set a target weight and adjusted her food intake accordingly, managing her weight in 100g increments.
Although I experienced some temporary health issues, I recovered successfully with daily treatment and gradually gained weight in preparation for childbirth.
Vicky is a hardworking girl. I wanted Vicky to relax even during my pregnancy, so I would sometimes lie on my back and train with her beside me. Looking back, those days are fond memories.

In late June, the animal care staff kept a 24-hour watch on Vicky, preparing for the birth. Late on the night of June 29th, Vicky's water broke, and she was finally on the verge of giving birth. Hang in there, Vicky! The animal care staff in charge of the sea lions watched over her with anticipation.

The daily watch-taking had us animal care staff feeling increasingly anxious and exhausted... But then, at 2:51 AM on June 30th, she finally gave birth! It was only 10 minutes after we received the news that "the baby's head is coming out!" We had been waiting for so long, and we were a little disappointed that we couldn't see the moment of birth, but we were happiest that she was born safely.

The relief after giving birth is short-lived, as the first challenge is breastfeeding. The baby squirms around on the mother's tummy, searching for the breast. And then, the first feeding is successfully confirmed. After drinking milk, the baby takes a long nap and has their first bowel movement.
Vicky was a little nervous about whether she could properly guide the baby since it had been a while since she'd had a baby, but she was relieved when she was able to confirm that breastfeeding was one of the most challenging parts of motherhood.

On the second day after birth, I got very close to the baby while feeding Vicky. Newborns are usually very wary of their mothers, so I was nervous that Vicky might get angry, but then the baby licked my hand! The baby's tongue was rough, and the moment I touched it, I felt the joy of touching something for the first time, realizing, "It's alive!"

The baby's name is "Chinowa," inspired by the "Nagoshi no Harae" ritual held on June 30th, the baby's birthday, where people pray for good health and protection from illness by passing through a ring of reeds. The members in charge of the sea lions chose the name with the hope that the baby will grow up healthy and strong, never giving up no matter what happens!

■Play a lot and grow up healthy!

From the 19th day after birth, Chinowa was unable to nurse properly, so the animal care staff took over as surrogate parents and switched to artificial rearing. From the very beginning, Chinowa was very curious about the animal care staff and everything around her. When cleaning was being done, she would chase after the cleaning brushes and play with the water from the hose.

Her favorite way to relax is by snuggling between the legs of the animal care staff. When we animal care staff stretch out our legs and sit down, she rushes over and climbs onto our legs.

Also, around this time, Chinowa's favorite place to sleep was squeezed into the gap between the wall and the wooden slats. The first time I saw it, I was worried because she wouldn't move once she was stuck in the gap, but it seemed like she really liked it, and she often went there to sleep or relax.

■Start swimming practice!

We started teaching our baby to swim when she was about two months old. We started by setting up a small pool and letting her get used to the water. She wasn't afraid of the water at all and seemed to enjoy playing in it.

Once she got used to the water, we gradually increased the size of the pool and made it deeper. Chinowa showed almost no fear of the water from the beginning, and she seemed to enjoy swimming, relaxing, grooming herself in the water, and moving her body around.

While we were filling the tank with water to prepare for swimming practice, they would sometimes wait for us in a bold, spread-eagle pose, showing us a funny side of themselves.

■ Practice walking to help them get used to the new environment

From three months old, we started taking Chinowa for walks as part of her training to get used to places outside her home. Chinowa had always shown interest in the area outside her home, but when it came to actually going outside, she was timid at first... When she seemed a little anxious, she would sit on the lap of a animal care staff. However, little by little, she was able to venture into new areas on her own, and we realized the importance of consistent daily practice.

Chichiwa usually spends her time alone at home, so when the animal care staff are around, she will sit on their laps and act affectionately, but she doesn't seem to like being touched by us. From around 5 months old, while she still innocently shows affection, she has also become more assertive.

■Summary

That's all for this growth diary!

Next time, we'll bring you footage of her practicing her walk in front of customers, her debut in the "Seal" area on May 22, 2026, and her first birthday event.
Please look forward to it!