A Japanese Zoo Caf Is Using Stuffed Capybaras To Enforce Social Distancing

Now that Japan has lifted state emergency, markets and restaurants have started opening doors to their patrons and customers. However, to ensure that social-distancing norms are followed thoroughly, a zoo café has come up with an innovative idea.

The Gibbontei animal restaurant at Izu Shaboten Zoological Park has filled its café with huge stuffed capybaras &ndash giant rodents native to South America.

The cute toys sitting around the café&rsquos tables take up almost half of the seats, meaning customers are forced to sit apart from each other and maintain a distance of two metres.

"It feels like I'm having lunch with the capybaras, and that's fun," commented a smiling Keishiro Yoshimaru, 18, who is studying to become a zookeeper.

Not just capybaras, but the café is also dotted with red pandas, giraffes, tigers and what appears to be a lemur.

Upon the state of emergency, the zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture had to be closed on April 20 but got re-opened on May 16 once the restrictions were lifted. At the time, it was suggested to seat 100 stuffed animals as a safety measure to prevent patrons from sitting side by side.

Zoo director Tomoaki Nakamura, 51, said, "We need to distance ourselves from others, but it felt lonely to just take away some seats. With a method unique to this exciting (zoo) atmosphere, we would like visitors to be cautious during their time here."

The soft toys, tables and chairs are disinfected after each customer leaves. Plus, the patrons are given hand sanitisers at the entrance to ensure their safety as well.

Johnny Suputama, who also shared some pictures on social media, tweeted  &ldquoWhy capybaras, you ask Well this zoo is credited with being the first (in 1982) to introduce the animals to hot baths and ever since then it&rsquos become a thing.&rdquo

As of now, Japan has reported 16,930 coronavirus cases with 894 deaths.