HATSUKAICHI, Hiroshima — An alligator that stands up on its back legs when water is poured on it has become popular with visitors to an aquarium here.
Named “Daigoro,” the 80-centimeter-long male alligator was first spotted standing up about two years ago, when water that a keeper poured on plants in his cage splashed on him at Marine Plaza Miyajima in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture.
From this year, Daigoro, a three-year-old dwarf caiman alligator from South America, has been entertaining visitors by performing the stand-up show every noon when a keeper pours water on it.
Miyajima Island, where the aquarium is located, is home to the Itsukushima Shrine that has been registered as a World Heritage site. The number of visitors to the island topped the 3-million mark last year for the first time in a decade.