Additionally, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment created a 10-year action plan to stabilise the island’s rail population. One such measure is the creation of Okinawa rail awareness signs to remind drivers that they are in the species’ habitat.

Luckily, like the Iriomote cat, the Okinawa rail is legally protected in Japan as a natural monument and Yanbaru became a national park in 2016, where traffic calming has been introduced to some areas to reduce the number of birds killed on roads. Introduced predators such as cats, dogs and the small Asian mongoose also threaten the fragile population. It is threatened by habitat fragmentation caused by road, dam, and golf course construction. The species is classified as “endangered” by BirdLife International due to its small range and population, which is around 480 mature individuals. Due to their cultural importance and declining numbers, the Iriomote cat was designated a natural monument by the Okinawa government in 1972 and part of their habitat has been designated as a wildlife protection area. The population’s major threats are predation by dogs, destruction of habitat, and traffic accidents. It is classified by the IUCN Red List as “critically endangered”, as the already declining population comprises fewer than 250 mature individuals. The cat has become an icon of the area, being immortalised in multiple statues guarding various bridges around the island. It is rare to find a carnivore species on such a small island due to an expected lack of prey, but the Iriomote cat’s uniquely varied diet allows it to survive against the odds. Technically a subspecies of leopard cat, it is known locally as yamamayaa (forest cat), as they live primarily in the island’s subtropical forest habitats. Iriomote Catįirst on the list of endangered living monuments endemic to Okinawa is the elusive Iriomote cat, found only on Iriomote Island.

5 Endangered Living Monuments Endemic to Okinawa 1.

Due to the small islands’ sizes, Okinawa is home to many endangered living monuments. Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs designates valuable and iconic animals as ‘ natural monuments ’, placing them under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The Okinawa Prefecture is made up of a group of humid subtropical Pacific islands – once called the ‘Galapagos of the East’. Japan encompasses such a variety of geography and climates that it can be useful to treat different prefectures as almost distinct countries. Earth.Org is powered by over 150 contributing writers

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