Takikawa Sea Cow is an animal that lived 500 years ago, when Takikawa was under the sea. In 1980, the fossils of the animal were discovered on the river bed of the Sorachi river running through the city. The body was estimated to be 8 meters long and to weigh 4 tons. The animal is called Kaigyu (sea cow) because it ate seaweed in the sea like a cow./p>

photo courtesy: Takikawa City Art and Natural History Museum