The Iriomote cat, also known as the Iriomote yamaneko in Japanese, is a subspecies of the leopard cat and is endemic to the dense forests of Iriomote Island, one of the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa, Japan. They are considered one of the rarest and most endangered wildcats in the world. This cat is shrouded in mystery and remains one of the least studied cat species in the world.
Believed to have descended from domestic cats brought to the island by settlers over 2000 years ago, these elusive felines have evolved to become a distinct and unique subspecies.
Despite its long history on the island, the iriomote cat was not officially recognized as a separate species until 1967, when it was classified as an endangered species by the Japanese government. With only around 100 individuals estimated to be left in the wild today.
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