Japan’s Environment Ministry announced on Tuesday that mongooses have been successfully eradicated from Amami-Oshima Island in southwestern Japan. This achievement comes after decades of efforts to eliminate the invasive species, which prey on native animals and disrupt the ecosystem of the World Natural Heritage site.
The ministry’s review panel analyzed data from camera images and traps on the Kagoshima Prefecture island to determine that mongooses had been exterminated. The last mongoose was caught in April 2018.
This eradication is considered unusual, as it has taken place on a large island measuring about 712 square kilometers. “This is an achievement that could contribute to the preservation of rare species and the natural heritage,” said Environment Minister Shintaro Ito at a press conference. Kagoshima Gov. Koichi Shiota also expressed positivity, stating that this eradication is beneficial for conserving Amami’s precious ecosystem.
Around 30 mongooses were initially introduced to Amami-Oshima Island in 1979 to control habu, a venomous viper species. However, their introduction had minimal impact as they rarely interacted with these nocturnal snakes due to their daytime activity patterns.
By the year 2000, mongoose numbers surged to around 10,000, causing significant damage to crops and native fauna. The population of Amami rabbits, which are considered a special national treasure, dropped by approximately 80% between 2001 and 2002 due to mongoose predation.
In recent years, there have been more frequent sightings of Amami rabbits captured on camera, raising hopes for their population recovery.
The ministry initiated full-scale extermination efforts against mongooses in 2000 and designated them as an invasive species in 2005. A specialized group was formed for eradicating these mammals and deployed up to 30,000 traps across the island. In addition, Japan introduced its first mongoose-sniffer dog in 2007 as part of these eradication efforts.
Efforts are still ongoing in Okinawa prefecture where mongooses are also considered invasive.
Overall this successful eradication marks an important milestone towards preserving biodiversity and protecting endangered species within Japan’s natural heritage sites.