Iriomote Wildcat

Iriomote yamaneko: a nocturnal wildcat that inhabits only Iriomote Island

Okinawa has been referred to as the Galapagos Islands of Asia because of the many rare animals and plants living within the prefecture. There is only one place in the world where one can find the Iriomote yamaneko, or wildcat, and that is Iriomote Island in the Yaeyama Island group. The scientific name for this animal is Mayailurus iriomotensis.

Discovered in 1965 by novelist Yukio Togawa, it was designated a National Natural Treasure three years later. The Iriomote wildcat is a unique species and can be called a living fossil. There are an estimated one hundred of them remaining.

The wildcat is a little bit bigger than a house cat, with a longer trunk, shorter legs, broader nose, and round ears. Its diet consists of birds, rats, insects, frogs and fish. It takes naturally to water and is a good swimmer.

The study of the Iriomote yamaneko is popular among Japanese and foreign scholars. The discovery of the wildcat at once made Iriomote Island an attractive tourist spot. Scholars, photographers, and tourists wait patiently to catch a view of the elusive feline; however, chances that are slim a sighting can be made, due to its wild, deep forest habitat and the scarcity of its numbers.