Abstract
The Iriomote cat Felis iriomotensis is a small-sized felid species endemic to Iriomote Island, Japan. The population size of this cat seems to be only about 100, as estimated in both 1985 and 1995. This indicates that the population is stable but small. The Iriomote cat is categorized as “Endangered” on the Red Lists by IUCN (1996) and by the Environment Agency of Japan (1998). Habitat destruction and fragmentation, traffic accidents, negative influences of newly introduced animals, and the introduction and spread of exotic diseases seem to be the potential threats to the small insular population of the Iriomote cat. The Japanese Government recently initiated some programs for its conservation. In addition, collaborative projects have been organized by the government and university researchers for the purpose of collecting basic ecological data on this endangered species.
