Koi, a distinct species from goldfish, used to traipse in some of the other waters of Portland Japanese Garden, but to help keep a more watchful eye, they were corralled into the lower pond of the Strolling Pond Garden. This is not the first time this part of the landscape has been home to animals on display. Prior to the Garden’s establishment in 1963, the grounds it operates in today used to be the old Portland Zoo—the area where koi swim was once a concrete bear pit. One would think these ursine creatures would have likely preferred the leafy and verdant space the fish enjoy today.