2016 Volume 21 Issue 4 Pages 115-119
The Wildlife Protection, Management and Hunting Law as well as the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora are applied to the field of endangered species in Japan. The Basic Guideline for implementation of wildlife protection and management projects based on the Wildlife Protection, Management and Hunting Law indicates how to deal with injured wildlife. According to this guideline, injured endangered birds and animals are examined as captive breeding, research, education or lifelong breeding. In case these treatments are difficult, they are examined destruction without pain referring to the advice by experts. In contrast, the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora doesn’t have regulations on injured wildlife of national endangered species of wild fauna and flora under this Law. Thus, injured endangered species shall be cared continuously as captive breeding, research and public awareness. Besides, destruction of nationally endangered species of wild fauna and flora is considered to be prohibited under this law. While some species of national endangered species of wild fauna and flora such as Japanese crested ibis Nipponia nippon or Okinawa rail Gallirallus okinawae to whom protection and breeding programs are ongoing and efforts of ex-situ conservation have been taken, the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora doesn’t indicate a clear policy about handling the individuals of such species that are incapable to be released into wild.