Tsushima Islander Captures Rare Photo of Endangered Bat Species
An extremely rare sighting and photograph of the endangered Hodgson's bat in Japan has excited experts and drawn attention to the biodiversity of Tsushima.
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Yukihiro Oota, 39, an employee of a nonprofit organization employee living in Tsushima City has succeeded in photographing the Hodgson's bat, an endangered species. Also called the copper-winged bat for its orange color, the animal's only known habitat in Japan is Tsushima Island of Nagasaki Prefecture.
According to experts, spottings of the bat are rare. As the ecology and population of the animal remain largely unknown, experts have praised the photo as a "valuable resource."
A Surprising Encounter
Mr Oota works for the Conservation & Animal Welfare Trust (CAW Trust), a nonprofit that conducts wildlife conservation activities. On the afternoon of July 20, he went into the mountains to prepare for an activity. There, he discovered the bat on a tree branch and snapped a photo from a distance using his smartphone.
"I never expected to see a live one," Oota reported with surprise.
According to Dr Dai Fukui, Director of the University of Tokyo's Fuji Iyashinomori Woodland Study Center (Yamanakako Village, Yamanashi Prefecture) and an expert on bat ecology, the Hodgson's bat measures about seven centimeters in length and can be found on the Korean Peninsula as well as in China and Taiwan.
The species is classified as "Critically Endangered" on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List, with a high risk of extinction in the near future. Only about ten sightings have occurred on Tsushima Island.
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