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Iriomote Ishigaki NP, Okinawa
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To assess a rescued, one-eyed Iriomote cat’s chances in the wild, staff changed a branch obstacle course daily, then offered a live frog. Cameras showed her navigating and hunting; after 51 days of care, she was released.
The center also watches for invasive species. In 2017, a poisonous cane toad measuring 14 cm and weighing 250 g was captured near its Komi base—the first capture on Iriomote since 2007.
Road-injured Yon lived in the center’s outdoor rehabilitation enclosure from August 1996 until 2011. To prevent him becoming used to people, visitors watched a live camera feed instead; his preserved body now helps visitors study this elusive cat.
The 2022 refresh added a simulator for practicing cat-friendly driving, plus Iriomote cat fur to touch and urine to smell. A huge wall illustration brings together about 700 island plant and animal species.
The Iriomote cat is also known locally as Yamapikarya or Yamamaya. Its varied menu includes lizards, snakes, frogs, insects, fruit bats, birds and even long-armed prawns.
The center turns reports of Iriomote cat sightings into a new driving-caution map every month. The maps are shared around the island, including at ports, hotels, supermarkets and rental-car shops.
The center explains an island-wide safety toolkit: wildlife tunnels nicknamed “cat boxes,” vibrating road markings near crossing hotspots, and roadside drains designed so small animals can climb out.
Established in 1995, the center combines public education with conservation work: researchers use camera traps, radio-tracking and health checks to monitor wild cats, and staff rehabilitate injured animals for release.
