(CNN) — Animal rights groups in Japan have raised the alarm over a dolphin, 46 penguins and hundreds of fish and reptiles that are locked in an aquarium that has been closed for months. The bottle-nosed dolphin, known as Honey, is being kept on her own in a small pool and is showing signs of mental stress, activists say. The Inubosaki Marine Park, in the city of Choshi, just east of Tokyo, shut down in January because of a lack of visitors. Park staff continue to feed the marine life at the aquarium. But with no companions, Honey – who was captured from the wild in 2005 – is condemned to a lonely existence. Sachiko Azuma, of the group Put An End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation (PEACE), said: “I did not expect that the animals would be abandoned. However, even in February, people were able to see there were still animals in the park. So I started researching and found out that the negotiations to transfer them had not progressed.” Sunburn scars PEACE, which said on its website that it had observed scars on Honey’s back due to sunburn, has called on concerned citizens to send postcards to Choshi City office calling for action. Choshi City’s tourism office told CNN it had received nearly 1,400 letters and emails urging help for Honey but that it has no right to interfere in the workings of a private company so it cannot help. “The aquarium is an agency dealing with animals so it’s their responsibility to explain what they are going to do with Honey and the other animals,” said Azuma. CNN attempted to reach the Inubosaki Marine Park for comment but received no response. Shunichi Sugasawa, of the Chiba Prefecture hygiene control division, told CNN that its staff went into the marine park this week for a monthly inspection, based on the Animal Protection Act. He said the inspectors confirmed that the dolphin and 46 penguins were alive and healthy, while the number of other fish had halved. They reported that Honey’s wounds had nearly healed after the marine park staff treated them with medicine and Vaseline. Working on a transfer Sugasawa said the prefecture’s office was in contact with the marine park, which was working to find a suitable place to transfer the dolphin. But the decision has not been made, he said, and officials cannot predict what will happen because it depends on the marine park’s decision. Akiko Mitsunobu, of the Animal Rights Center, said Honey appeared to be affected by the limited space available. “I think dolphins staying like this without swimming affects their mental health badly,” she said. “I see Honey as a symbol of both the problem of having animals in captivity and the problem of what happens when they are put on display.” Honey was captured from the wild in a controversial annual dolphin hunt off the Japanese town of Taiji. Many dolphins are killed for their meat – and some, like Honey, have been sold to marine parks, like Honey. The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums agreed to stop buying dolphins from the Taiji hunt in 2015. CNN’s Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report.<doc-sep>A dolphin and dozens of penguins have been left abandoned in a derelict aquarium in Japan. Animal rights campaigners called for the creatures to be rescued from the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi, just east of Tokyo. The female bottlenose dolphin named "Honey" looked increasingly weak they warned. Along with 46 humboldt penguins and hundreds of other fish and reptiles, she remains at the aquarium, an official at the Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare department confirmed. Employees have been regularly feeding the animals, he said. But pictures and video taken by activists in March and August from outside the park show Honey floating in a tiny pool in the empty facility. In another picture, dust-covered penguins can be seen perched on a crumbling structure near a pile of debris. Penguins appear to be living among rubble at derelict aquarium (Animal Rights Center Japan) Honey was captured in 2005 near Taiji, a western port town that has become well known for its annual dolphin hunt that was featured in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary The Cove, local media reported. The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film. The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove, where some are taken alive for sale to marine parks, while others are killed for meat. The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji. ✕ Shark disguised as baby stolen from aquarium in pushchair The aquarium's operator shuttered the facility in January citing a decline in visitors after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis. "Honey is a symbol of both the problem of marine parks and Taiji's hunting practices," said Akiko Mitsunobu, chief of aquarium issues for Animal Rights Centre, a local group. "When we went to check on the facility, she was showing signs of stress, putting her head weakly in and out of the water." Repeated calls to Inubosaki Marine Park and its parent company went unanswered. A Choshi city official said they have also been unable to reach park representatives. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital.<doc-sep>46 penguins, reptiles and fish need to be rescued The plight of a lonely dolphin and dozens of penguins that have been abandoned in a derelict aquarium in Japan since the start of the year sparked protests this week, with activists and ordinary Japanese alike calling for the animals to be saved. The female bottlenose dolphin, nicknamed Honey, was captured in 2005 near Taiji, a western port town that has become notorious for its annual dolphin hunt that was featured in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary The Cove, media reports say. The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film. The operator of the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo, shuttered the facility in January citing a decline in visitors after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis. Honey and 46 penguins, along with hundreds of fish and reptiles, remain at the aquarium, an official with the Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare department said. Employees have been regularly feeding the animals, he added, but photos and video taken by activists in March and August from outside the park show Honey floating in a tiny pool in an eerily empty facility. In another picture, dust-covered penguins can be seen perched on a crumbling structure near a pile of debris. News of the abandoned animals spread quickly over social media, with Twitter users posting photos captioned “Save Honey”. A resort hotel's offer to give them a new home sparked a flood of retweets.<doc-sep>A ctivists have taken to the streets in protest after a dolphin and dozens of penguins were abandoned in an aquarium in Japan. Protesters were out in force in Japan calling for the animals to be saved. The animals, including a dolphin called Honey, have been abandoned since the start of the year. Honey, a female bottlenose dolphin, was captured in 2005 near Taiji, a western port of the town that has become notorious for its annual dolphin hunt which was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove. The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film. The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove, where some are taken alive for sale to marine parks, while others are killed for meat. Honey, a bottle-nose dolphin, was filmed by activists / REUTERS The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji. Honey, 46 penguins and hundreds of fish and reptiles remain at the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium, in the city of Choshi in Chiba, just east of Tokyo. The facility shut in January after citing a decline in visitors after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis. An official with the Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare department said employees have been feeding the animals regularly. Photos taken in March and August by activists show Honey floating in a tiny pool in an eerily empty facility. Honey, penguins and reptiles are said to have been left / REUTERS In another picture, dust-covered penguins can be seen perched on a crumbling structure near a pile of debris. “Honey is a symbol of both the problem of marine parks and Taiji’s hunting practices,” said Akiko Mitsunobu, chief of aquarium issues for Animal Rights Center. “When we went to check on the facility, she was showing signs of stress, putting her head weakly in and out of the water.” News of the abandoned animals spread quickly over social media, with Twitter users posting photos captioned “Save Honey”. A resort hotel’s offer to give them a new home sparked a flood of retweets.<doc-sep>
TOKYO (Reuters) - The plight of a lonely dolphin and dozens of penguins that have been abandoned in a derelict aquarium in Japan since the start of the year sparked protests this week, with activists and ordinary Japanese alike calling for the animals to be saved. The female bottlenose dolphin, nicknamed Honey, was captured in 2005 near Taiji, a western port town that has become notorious for its annual dolphin hunt that was featured in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary “The Cove”, media reports say. The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film. The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove, where some are taken alive for sale to marine parks, while others are killed for meat. The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji. The operator of the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo, shuttered the facility in January citing a decline in visitors after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis. Honey and 46 penguins, along with hundreds of fish and reptiles, remain at the aquarium, an official with the Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare department said. Employees have been regularly feeding the animals, he added, but photos and video taken by activists in March and August from outside the park show Honey floating in a tiny pool in an eerily empty facility. In another picture, dust-covered penguins can be seen perched on a crumbling structure near a pile of debris. “Honey is a symbol of both the problem of marine parks and Taiji’s hunting practices,” said Akiko Mitsunobu, chief of aquarium issues for Animal Rights Center, a local group. Slideshow ( 4 images ) “When we went to check on the facility, she was showing signs of stress, putting her head weakly in and out of the water.” Repeated calls to Inubosaki Marine Park and its parent company went unanswered. A Choshi city official said they have also been unable to reach park representatives. “I get feelings of danger and doubt from the fact that they are so silent about this,” said Sachiko Azuma, a representative of local activist group PEACE (Put an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation). “As a group that handles animals, they have a responsibility to explain what they intend to do with Honey and the other animals.” News of the abandoned animals spread quickly over social media, with Twitter users posting photos captioned “Save Honey”. A resort hotel’s offer to give them a new home sparked a flood of retweets. “I beg the authorities to get in close contact with each other and push ahead with this,” wrote one Twitter user.