Wildlife observation event
International Center for Island Studies, Amami Station Maki Takahiro
http://cpi.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/AmamiStation/index.html- kikai
- tokunoshima
- amagi
- isen
- wadomari
- china
- yoron
- amami
- uken
- setouchi
- tatsugou
Background and objectives of activities
The Amami Branch Office, which was established in 2015, has been carrying out various activities to deepen the understanding of the nature of Amami among people from both inside and outside the island. The aim of these activities is to introduce the uniqueness of the wildlife that inhabits Amami and their ecology.
Summary of Activities
In 2024, a wildlife observation event was held to introduce the uniqueness of the bats that inhabit Amami Oshima and how to observe them. This observation event was held as part of the “Amami Nature Experience Program” organized by Kagoshima University.
First, there was an explanation about the ecology of bats and how to conduct surveys. After that, we used a bat detector to detect the ultrasonic waves emitted by bats and observed the bats that inhabit the streets of Naze, Amami City.
Expected Benefits
Many people associate Amami Oshima with iconic wildlife such as the Amami rabbit, but this observation event provided an opportunity to look at other animals such as bats. Increasing the number of people who are interested in and knowledgeable about a wide range of living things is essential for the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity, and this observation event helped to achieve this.