Hsinchu Zoo and Tobu Zoo in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture on Tuesday established sister relations to cooperate on animal care and protection.

Hsinchu Deputy Mayor Shen Hui-hung said she hopes that through the agreement, Hsinchu Zoo would learn from the outstanding wildlife conservation efforts of Tobu Zoo.

The two zoos are to conduct regular exchanges on animal care and conservation, with the Hsinchu facility seeking to boost its soft power and upgrade its animal breeding expertise, she said at a ceremony in the city.

The agreement was signed by Hsinchu Zoo director Yang Chia-min and Tobu Zoo director Mitsuo Ban, and witnessed by Shen.

Hsinchu Zoo reopened last month after two years of renovations with a goal to be a facility for life education and animal protection.

Tobu Zoo, which opened in 1981 as the 80th anniversary project of Tobu Railway, is a popular hybrid theme park, comprising a zoo, an amusement park and swimming pools.

It has about 1,200 animals, with some allowed to be fed by visitors.

It is one of the few places where white tigers are displayed and has plans for an observatory area modeled on Hsinchu Zoo’s tropical rain forest gallery to allow people to see them close up, Yang said.

Tobu Zoo has the Heartful Garden, with 410 plant species that grow all year round, and the Palette Garden, which has flowers and fruit trees, including 3,000 Yoshino cherry