Japanese Endangered Animals

Japan is a country comprising of many islands, all having their own unique self-contained ecosystems. The islands stretch over a vast range, and are characterized by their specific climate. Different species of animals are found to inhabit these islands.

Japan is linked to Asia and the mainland through three channels, Korea and China, Siberia, and a chain of islands leading to Taiwan and the Southeast Asia. Many animals are believed to have come to Japan from these mainland areas during ancient period when Japan was attached to the mainland.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), hunting of animals and birds was completely restricted, which helped the wild animals to prosper. During the Meiji period (after 1868), the control on hunting of wild animals was lifted, which caused great sufferings to them. Many wild animals were endangered, and some others became extinct.

Nowadays, Japan is trying to make up for the environmental losses made in the past. With a newfound concern for nature and animals, the people and the government of Japan are taking initiatives for the conservation of endangered animals. In 1971, Japan founded an environmental agency to care for the endangered animals.

About Japanese Endangered Animals

According to the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 370 species of endangered animals are found in Japan. It includes two species of Dragonfly, three species of stink bugs, one species of fly, and four butterfly species. The list also includes two species of amphibians, the Hokuriku salamander and the Abe's salamander, and one reptile species, Kikuzato's brook snake. Today, 47 animal species have become extinct in Japan, and another 303 are threatened to become extinct.

A large number of animals which traveled to Japan have adapted to the paddy agriculture system. The rich paddy fields of Japan have their own ecosystem. It facilitates as a thriving area for the Dragon flies, egrets, herons, cranes, ibises, storks, fish, frogs, snakes, snails, clams, crabs, shrimp, and aquatic insects.

Other native animal species of Japan have adapted for life in the forest. It includes black bears, wild boars, tanukis, badgers, serows, Amami rabbit, Japanese Macaques, Bon fruit bats, Iriomote cats, the Tsushima yamaneko, the Japanese wolf, the Ainu wolf, giant elks, and grassland elephants.

Causes of Endangerment of Animals in Japan

Man-made environments are primarily responsible for the poor condition of Japanese endangered animals. Encroachment of lands for rapid expansion, and the destruction of the natural habitats of endangered animals have made them homeless. Moreover, illegal trade in the body parts of endangered animals has made their situation critical.

Today, very few wild animals are found in Japan. The forests of Japan are almost devoid of life. Deforestation and encroachment of lands, use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers with the modernization of agriculture, hunting of wild animals, and widespread diseases in many endangered animals have threatened their existence.

To preserve the declining numbers of critically endangered animals, the government of Japan has designated 200 species of them as "natural monuments". It includes the red-crowned Cranes, Blakiston fish-owls, and the goat-like serows. Although they have been provided special status, the protection of their natural habitats is generally overlooked or ignored.