Now in its 30th anniversary in 2014 wildlife science is creating, also Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine at the same time becomes a founding 20 anniversary. Wildlife science, for the purpose of co-existence between humans and wildlife, is an academic who has evolved while integrating the area concerned. During this time, disciplines that constitute wildlife science are located maturing in Japan, it is believed that each became independently times should evolve.

Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (JSZWM) which was founded in 1995 meets 20-year anniversary and is developing with energetic activity such as establishment of diploma qualification foundation, annual student seminar courses, assignment of experts for infectious disease control in wildlife, support of the Asian Society of Conservation Medicine, and formulation of some guidelines for wildlife conservation and ethics. There have been many socially-concerned events related with wildlife, including effects of endocrine disruptors, outbreak of lead poisoning in raptors, mass intrusion of bears into residential area, re-introduction of endangered birds such as Japanese crested ibis and white stork, highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. As an academic field responding to these problems, conservation medicine develops and becomes of an inter-disciplinary importance as well as One Health concepts. This field will be necessary more than nowadays to contribute conservation of biodiversity, encouraging the JSZWM development with relation to other organizations.

Twenty years since the founding of the Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, I regret to report that the operation of Japanese zoos still lacks an academic basis. In order to mitigate this ongoing problem, it is necessary to further develop an emerging discipline called “Zoo Science”. This new area of academic study is a comprehensive field that is built by combining the study of both the arts and the sciences, as they relate to zoo operations. If this new area of academic study is recognized by the scholastic community and established as a culture in Japan, zoos could easily be established as a place of academic study. To improve Japanese zoos, quotidian struggles will be required for all persons associated with zoos.