After sighting a tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) on the urban railway track, I remembered that I saw several wild animals in the residential areas of Tokyo Metropolis in the last few years. One of such amazing sightings was a Japanese serow in Ome City.
When I enjoyed strolling in the residential area of Ome City, I found a flashy signboard saying "beware of wild boars". 10 seconds later, an animal suddenly crossed in front of me. "A wild boar?", but something felt wrong, because he (or she) had horns on its head. It was not a wild boar, but a Japanese serow!
The Japanese serow is an even-toed ungulate mammal. It was designated as a special natural treasure by the Japanese Government in 1955. I don't know why such a wild animal appeared in the residential area of Tokyo Metropolis. He (or she) contemplated me for a while, and leisurely walked into a forest adjacent to the residential area.
To visit this wild animal habitat, the nearest station is Ome on the JR East Ome line. I recently found that an orange-colored train, namely JR East E233 series, was displaying a special plate on the front saying "Tokyo Adventure Line". It's JR East's sales campaign to promote tourism to the Ome line. It means "Enjoy authentic nature as soon as you get off trains". Exactly! I Enjoyed strolling along the Ome line and sighting a precious wild animal... "Tokyo Adventure Line" is a perfectly fitting phrase for the Ome line.
A Japanese serow appears in a residential area of Ome City, Tokyo Metropolis