Talk:Rita (chimpanzee)

Potential sources

動物園・その歴史と冒険 (published 1985) and 動物園の昭和史: おじさん、なぜライオンを殺したの 戦火に葬られた動物たち (published 1995) have been cited by some online sources as their source of information on Rita. Obviously not easy to access - but might contain some material and images that could be used to expand the article. GreenLipstickLesbian💌🦋 02:46, 20 March 2025 (UTC)

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by SL93 talk 21:55, 19 April 2025 (UTC)

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• Article history

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Rita and her mate holding rifles

Rita dressed as a soldier

• ... that the Japan used a chimpanzee (pictured) for propaganda during wartime?

• Source: As the war cast a dark shadow, Rita became a propaganda icon, presented in military garb with a rifle to lift the public's spiritsKurihara, Mayuko. "Japan's Tennoji Zoo celebrates 110 years with 'animal first' upgrades". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2025-03-20.

• ALT1: ... that Japan's celebrity chimpanzee Rita (pictured), who dressed as a geisha and smoked cigarettes, became a wartime "propaganda icon"?

• Source: As the war cast a dark shadow, Rita became a propaganda icon, presented in military garb with a rifle to lift the public's spiritsKurihara, Mayuko. "Japan's Tennoji Zoo celebrates 110 years with 'animal first' upgrades". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2025-03-20.

Rita became a national celebrity.[...]Rita was made to walk around on her hind legs in an upright position, wearing a kimono and a heavy wig, looking like a geisha girl. She was even made to pose, smoking a cigarette.Itoh, Mayumi (2010), Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy: The Silent Victims of World War II, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, doi:10.1057/9780230117440_9, ISBN 978-1-349-29183-0, OCLC 615338421, retrieved 2025-02-22, page 59.

• Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Sing-Song Girl Red Peony
• Comment: Image notes: Rita died in 1940, so the picture was easily taken before 1947 and thus has fallen into public domain in Japan and did not have its copyright restored by the URAA.

Created by GreenLipstickLesbian (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 5 past nominations.

GreenLipstickLesbian💌🦋 08:54, 20 March 2025 (UTC).

• Article is new and long enough. Article is well-sourced and neutrally written. No pings for copyvio on Earwigs. Hooks are cited, interesting, and short enough for DYK; AGF on paywalled sources. QPQ has been completed. Image is properly licensed, per nominator rationale. I quite like the image and would recommend whoever promotes this using it, but I think File:リタ１９３８年.png might reproduce better at thumbnail size. I also think ALT1 is the stronger hook of the two options. Morgan695 (talk) 22:07, 20 March 2025 (UTC)
  • I've added the second image (appears on the left) for easier consideration. It's PD for the exact same reasons as listed above. GreenLipstickLesbian💌🦋 04:18, 21 March 2025 (UTC)

Malnutrition

Why had Rita been "suffering from the effects of malnutrition"? Marcas.oduinn (talk) 07:13, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

I was also puzzled by that. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been 1945, but I'm not aware of food shortages in Japan in 1940. --Ef80 (talk) 17:41, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

Hi @Ef80 and @Marcas.oduinn, and apologies for the confusion! While it's true that the major food shortages didn't start until closer to the end of the war, rationing food rationing started in 1940. Those living in cities, without the ability to supplement their food with home-grown produce, were impacted the most. City zoos simply weren't prioritized. Additionally, as per Japanese Wartime Zoo Policy, Osaka Zoo in particular suffered due to shortages of staff (who were conscripted to fight) and animal feed. By 1942, many of their larger animals (such as the giraffes and elephants, and likely Lloyd) had starved to death. Those that didn't, the local government ordered destroyed in September 1943. At least, the destruction was most likely ordered. Similar destructions were ordered at other zoos, most notoriously Ueno Zoo, out of concerns that the animals would escae during the bombings and kill civilians. There exists no surviving evidence confirming such a destruction was ordered at Osaka, but there is evidence that the zoo directors and locals were very unhappy about the decision, and they delayed killing their prized polar bears until 1944. Rita died much earlier than most zoo animals, but she was pregnant so any food shortages would have been particularly bad for her.GreenLipstickLesbian💌🦋 18:06, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

Very good reply, thank you. Marcas.oduinn (talk) 05:45, 26 April 2025 (UTC)