2004 年 8 巻 2 号 p. 117-124
The small Indian mongoose, Herpestes javanicus (Family Herpestidae, Order Carnivora, Mammalia), is one of the most urgent species to eradicate among invasive mammals in Japan. Recently, the Japanese government has begun full-scale control of the mongoose as a model case for conserving the biodiversity of Japan’s subtropical islands. We review and assess the impacts of the mongoose and control practices on Amami-Ohshima Island and Okinawa Island based on recently acquired information. On Amami-Ohshima Island, a total of 9,960 mongooses were captured under the full-scale project of the Ministry of the Environment which ran for four years from 1999 to October 2003. According to the April 2002 mongoose census taken after three years of full-scale implementation, the population was estimated to be 1/4 (1,500-2,000 mongooses) less than in 1999. However, our investigation revealed that the remaining mongooses in the mountainous area are having negative impacts on native species, especially on the Amami rabbit, Pentalagus furnessi. People who are involved with the full-scale mongoose project should recognize that the investment in the project, at least regarding the number of traps and trapping period, is incredibly low at this stage and funding should be increased to achieve the goal. Further eradication projects should take into consideration the low density and partial distributions of the mongoose population in mountainous areas.
