Native to Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the endangered animal is one of only two native wildcats in Japan — with the other being the Tsushima leopard cat in Nagasaki Prefecture.
John Carroll, for JAPAN Forward
Recently I had the opportunity to visit Iriomote island in the far south of Japan. Located about 200 kilometers east of Taiwan, this—the second largest Island in Okinawa Prefecture ー after Okinawa Island — is a veritable treasure house of flora and fauna, including endemic and endangered species.
Here you can find three-fifths of all the bird species in Japan. It has even been dubbed the “Galapagos of the East.” Only a slight exaggeration.
Among the unique creatures inhabiting Iriomote are Kishinoue’s giant skink, the crested serpent eagle and the Ryukyu yellow-margined box turtle. But the most famous of these animals is undoubtedly the Iriomote wildcat, discovered in 1965. It’s a variety of feline that can be found nowhere else in the world.
Alarmingly, the population of this indigenous mammal is estimated to have dropped to only a bit more than one hundred, and possibly is still declining. It is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of critically endangered wildlife.
As one of only two native wildcats in Japan — with the other being the Tsushima leopard cat in Nagasaki Prefecture — the Iriomote cat is protected by law as a Special National Natural Monument. Nonetheless, with the number of domestic and foreign visitors to Iriomote expected to swell as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, the survival of this endangered wild animal is far from certain.
Native to Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the endangered animal is one of only two native wildcats in Japan — with the other being the Tsushima leopard cat in Nagasaki Prefecture.
John Carroll, for JAPAN Forward
Recently I had the opportunity to visit Iriomote island in the far south of Japan. Located about 200 kilometers east of Taiwan, this—the second largest Island in Okinawa Prefecture ー after Okinawa Island — is a veritable treasure house of flora and fauna, including endemic and endangered species.
Here you can find three-fifths of all the bird species in Japan. It has even been dubbed the “Galapagos of the East.” Only a slight exaggeration.
Funaura Bay, Iriomote Island | © MOEJ, Images courtesy of © JAPAN Forward
Among the unique creatures inhabiting Iriomote are Kishinoue’s giant skink, the crested serpent eagle and the Ryukyu yellow-margined box turtle. But the most famous of these animals is undoubtedly the Iriomote wildcat, discovered in 1965. It’s a variety of feline that can be found nowhere else in the world.
Alarmingly, the population of this indigenous mammal is estimated to have dropped to only a bit more than one hundred, and possibly is still declining. It is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of critically endangered wildlife.
As one of only two native wildcats in Japan — with the other being the Tsushima leopard cat in Nagasaki Prefecture — the Iriomote cat is protected by law as a Special National Natural Monument. Nonetheless, with the number of domestic and foreign visitors to Iriomote expected to swell as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, the survival of this endangered wild animal is far from certain.
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Written by Japan ForwardThe continuation of this article can be read on the "Japan Forward" site.
The Iriomote Wildcat’s Precarious Life in Paradise