Last Wolves of Japan

Рік тому

Over 100 years ago, the Japanese Wolf went extinct - but is it truly gone?
‘Statue of Japanese Wolf’ by Gohachiyasu1214 Licensed Under CC-BY SA 4.0 (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...)
Further Reading -
features.japantimes.co.jp/3-s...
animals.mom.com/japanese-wolv...
wolfology1.tripod.com/id147.htm
#wolf #japan #japanesewolf #documentary #wildlife #nature #wildlifedocumentary #history #japanese #wolves

КОМЕНТАРІ: 124

@AegleCreations Рік тому

There's a comprehensive book about Japanese Wolves by Brett L. Walker called "The Lost Wolves of Japan". I've listed some sources and articles for further reading in the description.

@cococatpirate1686 Рік тому

Here in Japan, although Japanese wolves became extinct, there are some shrines for worship wolves since they were considered as spirits or messengers of God. Awfully sorry, one thing I would love to say : quite different from a theory. Our country closed as a national isolation policy for 200 years until 1868. After we opened the door to the world again, western people came in, sometimes with dogs. Some were infected with distemper, and it was the first explosive infection to our wolves. The last wolf died in 1905. Although this video says that people started to panic about wolves, even "Prince Chichibu ( who passed away on 4 January 1953, the second son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei, a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa)" lived with a wolf from Chichibu where there is a shine for worship wolves as messengers of God. Once their wolf decided the Prince was his / her leader, the wolf was extremely loyal to them until the end of his / her life. The Prince and the Princess also loved the wolf, and they wrote how divine and loyal their wolf was, in some Japanese traditional poems named Tanka.

@nothingleft3473 3 місяці тому

For what it's worth, I'm an American, a conservative constitutionalist, therefore I absolutely believe that Japan should have never been westernized and in fact, I despise that it ever happened. Yes it's neat to have technology, but it will be our ultimate downfall.

@dmandog056 Рік тому

It would probably help Japan's ecosystem a lot to reintroduce wolves from other parts of the globe, but the people of Japan and the Japanese government balk at the idea of reintroducing a crucial apex predator that is believed to be extinct. I’ve heard that their deer population has gone out of control because they have less natural predators now without the wolves to eat the deer and maintainbalance in the food chain, their remaining bears don’t cut it in terms of hunting other animals such as the deer.

@UmamiPapi Рік тому

Another remedy would be hunting. Seems shotguns are legal in Japan and a slug is capable of killing deer.

@Dell-ol6hb Рік тому

@@UmamiPapi yea but that's not fixing the problem, the problem is the lack of apex predators in the environment, which is why they should just reintroduce wolves to the environment

@UmamiPapi Рік тому

@@Dell-ol6hb ¿Por qué no dos?

@Packless1 Рік тому

...it worked in the Yellowstone-park...! ...and it works in Germany too - even many people are protesting...!

@dmandog056 Рік тому

@@Dell-ol6hb but unfortunately the people of Japan apparently don't want them back despite the damage to nature the loss of wolves has caused. They are apathetic to the idea and JP farmers cry bloody murder at the very idea of bringing wolves back.

@awesomeocelot7475 Рік тому

This is so sad. The poor wolves didn’t mean to hurt the people they where just literally sick. I get people where afraid but I feel so bad for the wolves.

@okamijubei Рік тому

And why were they sick? Rabies outbreak and who is likely blamed for all that? Likely us Americans, something likely stowaway into one of the ships and something came into Japan and start a rabies outbreak.

@neko_my_cat Рік тому

@@okamijubei no they said in the video it likely came from china or korea but later when cattle farming became a thing the one encouraging of hunting them was an american

@corruptdevil2957 Рік тому

Okay i agree its sad but saying a predatory carnivor didn't mean to hurt anyone is delusional😂

@nightowl7261 8 місяців тому

@neko_my_cat The dude was just trying to put the blame on Korea or China. In the comment section, a Japanese guy says it most likely came from a Westerner. Because Japan was a closed nation for over 200 years until Commodore Perry force Japan to reopen. So yes, the wolves probably got this sick disease from Westerner.

@taylamuller1811 7 місяців тому

@@corruptdevil2957the didn't hunt humans, they hunt their own prey. So no, they did not mean to hurt people, and most likely would have preferred to be left entirely alone.

@greghelton4668 7 місяців тому

There’s a good chance I saw one twice in Nagano. It definitely wasn’t a dog and looked so much like a stuffed wolf I once saw and exactly like a photo of a recent sighting. I sure hope it was a wolf that somehow survived.

@kenoh0347 Рік тому

I'm a spanish Hunter and fisherman, this is what happens when people with guns that has no idea of hunting or preserving the ecosistem star thinking that they can be hunters with no knowledge

@nightowl7261 8 місяців тому

Most hunters today in America aren't hunters or conservationists anymore. Wolves and coyotes are shot and killed as vermin and pests. And competition for deers and elks. Wolves are protected on papers and depending on which state. So it's less likely to get shot for sport. But it does still happen. Coyotes though, are not protected and are considered pests. They're often shot and left to rot. I had a chance to shoot coyotes about 2 years ago. But fortunately, none showed up that night. I look back now, and I'm saying what the hell was I thinking?

@chichodormi4732 Рік тому

Yeah, hunt a species to extinction, then glorify its spirit with a sculpture. Thats how we roll, so sad .. Love your content 🙏❤️

@tevinwoods8867 Рік тому

Yeah that seems to happen a lot. I wouldn’t mind introducing the wolves smaller cousin the coyote to Japan.

@indyreno2933 Рік тому

Actually, the coyote is a member of the Canina subtribe like the grey wolf, but the true closest living relative of the coyote is actually the golden jackal, so basically, the coyote is actually a jackal, which is why it is appropriately nicknamed an "american jackal" or "silver jackal" hence, both the golden jackal and coyote are classified within their own genus, which is the genus Prolupus, which is latin meaning "before the wolf", with the scientific names of the golden jackal and coyote being Prolupus aureus and Prolupus latrans respectively, to which the Golden Jackal (Prolupus aureus) is its type species, in fact, there are now only eight extant species within the Canis genus, the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus (cladistically including the Domestic Dog (Canis lupus familiaris))), the White Wolf (Canis albus), the Sea Wolf (Canis crassodon), the Eastern Wolf (Canis lycaon), the Red Wolf (Canis rufus), the Pale-Footed Wolf (Canis pallipes), the New Guinea Singing Dog (Canis hallstromi), and the Dingo (Canis dingo), in fact, the type species of the Canis genus is actually the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), the subtribe Canina (Old World Wolf-Like Canines) contains only six extant genera, Lupulella (African Jackals), Lycaon (Painted Dogs), Flavocyon (Golden Wolves), Cuon (Dhole Lineage), Prolupus (Laurasian Jackals/Holarctic Jackals), and Canis (True Wolves and Oceanian Wild Dogs), the subtribe also contains sixteen extant species, the Side-Striped Jackal (Lupulella adusta), the Black-Backed Jackal (Lupulella mesomelas), the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), the Ethiopian Golden Wolf (Flavocyon simensis), the Common Golden Wolf (Flavocyon lupaster), the Dhole (Cuon alpinus), the Golden Jackal (Prolupus aureus), the Coyote (Prolupus latrans), the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), the White Wolf (Canis albus), the Sea Wolf (Canis crassodon), the Eastern Wolf (Canis lycaon), the Red Wolf (Canis rufus), the Pale-Footed Wolf (Canis pallipes), the New Guinea Singing Dog (Canis hallstromi), and the Dingo (Canis dingo).

@TimeofRagnarok Рік тому

This is true, clear example, Oklahoma. Statues and murals of bison all over the place, number of wild bison, 0.

@Esotilin2lasecuela Рік тому

Because people can't retract, this is the most stupid comment ever.

@eliletts8149 Рік тому

@@indyreno2933 were did you get your information from? I have never heard of either the coyote or Eurasian golden being placed in a genus other than Canis until now.

@TK-nq1tu Рік тому

I am Japanese. I'm a student and I'm still learning English,so I can't write or understand the sentenses well without a translation. The sentense is also converted to English by typing Japanese into the translation application. It's going to be a long sentense,but I want to share my thoughts with you,so please read it if you'd like. In Japan today,the number of wild animals such as deer and wild boars in rapidly increasing due to a combination of reasons such as decrease in snowfall,a decsease in the number of hunters,and the extinction of wolves,which were apex predetors. as a result,the damege to crops has become enormous. In order to deal with animal damege,fense are built to prevent intrusion and active extermination is carried out,but these are temporary measures and can't be said to be a fundamental solution,I think it is necessary to revive the wolf,which is the apex predetor. however,in today's Japan,the idea has not yet spread to the general public. I think the number one reason for this is that the Japanese minister of the environment has taken a stance that does not allow discussion of the reintroduction of wolves. it is not treated in the diet,so it is rarely on the trend. that's why most people don't know about wolves. there are quite a few people who do not know the defferense between the Japanese wolf and the ezo wolf,which originally in habited Japan. As an island nation,Japanan trends to have smaller animals compared to those on the continent due to islandzation. some people say that if you bring it,it will destroy the ecosystem. many of these people either do not know about the ezo wolf,a large continental wolf,or confuse it with the Japanese wolf. there are quite a few people who say that this problem of wolf species is unless because it is an alien species. In the background,there is an example of the Java mongoose brought to Okinawa to exterminate a poisonus snake called Habu. mongoose did not prey on habu,but preyed on small animals,which became a problem.(Habu is a native species. On the other hand, the mongoose has no closely related animals inhabiting Japan at the family level.) In addition, although rabies has not occurred in Japan for a long time, the risk of rabies recurring if wolves are reintroduced is one of the main reasons for opposing the reintroduction of wolves. And there are many voices that worry about livestock damage. I also think that there will definitely be damage if we re-introduce it without any countermeasures for this point. And the fact that a large percentage of people see wolves as ferocious predators that attack people is the number one challenge facing the reintroduction of wolves, and the one I'd like to share with you the most. Hokkaido, where wolves may be reintroduced, is home to Japan's largest animal, the Ezo brown bear, which attacks humans every year. Although there have been no reports of bodily injury caused by Ezo wolves, there have been several confirmed cases of bodily injury caused by Japanese wolves during the Edo period, and brown bears also killed seven people in the Taisho period. are not few. However, in general, wolves do little harm to humans, and I believe they are safer than brown bears. When I learned that wolves will be reintroduced in Colorado later this year, I was very curious about what impressions people who live in areas where wolves have of wolves. I wrote this sentence because I wanted to hear the voices of the locals. If you don't mind, let me hear your voices ❗️🤗

@thibbz Рік тому

In America, pretty much everyone supports the protection of our wolves, and they are not thought of as being scary or harmful. Wolves do not really cause any problems as long as they have a large amount of area to roam, so wolves are seen as beautiful gifts to our land, not nuisances. Unfortunately, a few people have shot them for sport in the past. It would make me glad if wolves came back to Japan, as they would help balance the ecosystem.

@Goofybug Рік тому

Canis lupus hodophilax Japanese or Honshu wolf and canis lupus Hattai which was the ezo or hokkaido wolf. They were very unique amongst other subspecies of wolves . I think the reintroduction of wolves in japan would very much help the ecosystem because the deer and boars would be controlled meaning less damage done to forests. Ive seen videos about the nara prefecture where the last wolf was killed and the amount of deer is crazy .they are everywhere and don't fear humans. They can easily run away from bears and like you said about how japans animals are noticeably smaller than their cousins from other continents which they are. A deer here in North america is almost double a sika or other japanese deer size. Wolves can actually run after the deer. I wish i could see japanese and ezo wolves in my lifetime. I can just picture a pack of them in the japanese wilderness in the mountains of cedar, spruce, fir, pine, and other foliage.

@nightowl7261 8 місяців тому

@thibbz "Hunters" and ranchers would disagree with you. In the hunting community amongst the state that has wolves. "Hunters" and even Ranchers have this thing they call "SSS." Now, you may ask what does "SSS" stand for? Shoot. Shovel. Shut up. Even if wolves are protected in that state, they are still shot and killed. Shoot. Then they buried or left to rot. Shovel. They leave the area without a trace, and they don't talk about it. Shut up. Oftentimes, "hunters" also blame wolves for the low number of elk and deers. And ranchers hate wolves because sometimes wolves prey on grazing cattle. Honestly, my thoughts for the hunters is that human hunters are just getting greedy. They want deers and elk for themselves and don't want to compete with wolves. So they eliminate them in any way they can and use any excuse or reasons to justify their actions. For ranchers, if they lose a cattle, they lose profit.

@thrallingFRglory Рік тому

Would love to see more of such 'Last...' videos

@matthewzito6130 Рік тому

Interesting. ... Transmision of diseases from domestic dogs is a major factor in the decline of Dholes and African Wild Dogs, so it makes sense that it would affect Wolves also (especially relatively small, isolated populations).

@hotbit7327 Рік тому

Sure, they were highly regarded and worshipped by Japanese, and also mercilessly killed to the last one by Japanese. So something does not add up.

@AegleCreations Рік тому

Well, within a short time span, Japan's wolves went from being revered to reviled. There's a detailed book on this called "The Lost Wolves of Japan" that dwells more deeply into this topic, and analyzes why the attitude-shift happened.

@mertens1439 Рік тому

@@AegleCreations thank you for mentioning the book, will read that!

@Soaping Рік тому

What an AMAZING research....presented in visual mode. Thank you Aegle..

@shatnermohanty6678 Рік тому

Looking forward for more videos like this 👌

@kbz313 Рік тому

Another fine video, TP.

@deinsilverdrac8695 Рік тому

So for once peoples loved and beneficied from the wolves, they had the smallest least harmfull specie but it's where they the specie entirely disapeared. Japan really lost all his fauna. Otter, wolves, sea lion. Bears, ibis, fishes, reptiles and giant salamanders are next.

@hudsonstraight8628 Рік тому

DEIN Sil. Also Whales. Cruel race.

@deinsilverdrac8695 Рік тому

@@hudsonstraight8628 race? were not in the early 1900 anymore. there's no race (it don't mean anything at all and is only use for domestic animals breeder to be more practical but the word have no real meaning) It's what a cruel culture (and only on this aspect, and to be honest, they may be way less cruel and dangerous for wildlife than i don't know, American, European, Chinese or others cultures, because they actually respect and like a bit nature in their mythology/philosophy) and we did the same in an even worse way. just for north america. american mink, Carolina parakeet, great auk, Caribbean monk seal, labrador duck, ivory-billed woodpecker, Xerces blue and severals birds/fishes went extinct in the last 2 centuries passenger pigeon (wich were BILLIONS and were exterminated in a matter of a century), several sub-species of black bears, grizzlies, elks, wolves, pumas etc. We practically drive to extinction californian condor, bighorn sheep, puma, bison, moose, wolves, prairies dog, black footed ferret, eagles (yes bald eagles too nearly went extinct) and a lot of other. some of them just because we spite them, for sport, for furr, or to piss of the amerindian and force them to leave by starvation (with the extermination of billions of bison, entire piles of skulls that could be several meters high). and remember who tell the Japeneses to kill wolves and help to introduce "modern" farming based on livestock. awnser, not a Japenese. I could talk about Europe, but it will be like talking about Usa/Canada, only less specie disapreared and it took several thousands of years and not 3 centuries to get to this level of ecological devastation. it's not a competition of who's cruel and who isn't, because if it was, we would lost it by a lot. It's cutlures not origin that matters here. Canadians are maybe the best and kindest people in the new world or even in the world but they killed baby seal until recntly and destroyed a lot of wildlife to with trappers and furr based economy. All societies tend to be harmfull for nature, and most of them tend to developp a hatred for wildlife and no respect for nature. At least most occidental cultures did.

@toddbennett7157 Рік тому

@@deinsilverdrac8695 The terms "subspecies" and race are synonymous.

@deinsilverdrac8695 Рік тому

@@toddbennett7157 not really, as far as i am aware the scientific community don't use this term since quite a long time. Race don't mean anything today. Only animal breeder use this word, to refer to a population of a species/sub-specie that show specific traits/phenotype. Generally cosmetic and superficial differences that can't be enought to be classified as even a new sub-specie. (A bit like black panther or just small individuals of a specie) A bit like we do with grey wolves. There's sub-species And there's particular population that are not different enought to be a sub-specie but show some common characteristics. Eurasian grey wolves populations for exemple. And we can't forget the past of this word. Wich have dishonoured and humiliated sciences, to prove a bad toxic ideology based on nothing, they forced it on science to prove a point, scaring humanity for the Centuries to come, with negative impact still deeply rooted in our modern society, not as violent, but more sneaky, less obvious and "hidden" in a New form to make the innaceptable acceptable. With bad arguments. Just the way religion did It's how the lord wanted it to be and that there's a hierarchy, see it's writted here. It's nature laws that decided that there's a hierarchy, see there's a difference in posture and skull shape, they're naturally submisive or less evolved. Same sentences, same message, different "autorities arguments". And we weren't talking about cat or dog here but about humans. The sentence had a clear racist interpretation, and even if it wasn't representative of the will of the writter, this doesn't make the interpertation absent,.it's still there, independent of the writter will. It's start like that, then it became prejudices then stereotype, then fear then hatred and disgust. Yes japenese culture have bad sides, cruel to some animals. But show me one culture that didn't have that kind of flaws. And we did so much worse, and continue to do way worse even today.

@toddbennett7157 Рік тому

It IS. I was a biology major in college, and systematic taxonomy is my passion!

@TedH71 Рік тому

Virtually all of the Japanese dog breeds have proven to have Japanese wolf or Hokkaido wolf ancestry.

@gentilewarrior Рік тому

They are domesticated Japanese wolves, the Japanese Wolf is not extinct it was just domesticated.

@nightowl7261 8 місяців тому

Including that smiling Shiba inu?

@TedH71 8 місяців тому

@@nightowl7261 from what I'm aware of, yes.

@mattmckinney3530 10 місяців тому

There may still be some wolves in Japan, so don’t be so sad

@ianlim4404 5 місяців тому

Most likely it's the Japanese or Honshu wolf.

@iidentifyaskingoftheuniver1928 Рік тому

This channel is a 💎

@dylan1333 Рік тому

Great video

@SpammytheHedgehog Рік тому

I like wolves and I like Japan. I wanted to see wolves when I go to Japan. 😭

@Phantasmagorick 11 місяців тому

The last predators in japan are the Hokkaido Grizzly Bear and the Asian Black Bear... But, they're going extinct too

@Senaabeyguaratne Рік тому

Very Knowledgeable clip on Wolfs. Many Thanks Thivanka 💖

@abhinavsharma833 Рік тому

Kindly make video of last lions of india

@erichtomanek4739 Рік тому

How can the spirit live on when the body is Extinct? By the way, what of the Shamanu?

@nightowl7261 8 місяців тому

The spirit lives on in the Japanese people. The stories and history isn't forgotten. It will repeated and learned from one to the next. But Japan probably needs to up its population foe that to happen.

@Hananiah70 Рік тому

Shiba Inus are the closest dogs in terms of DNA to wolves, because they are completly related to Japanese wolf only. If you want to see a cuter, smaller version of a Japenese, just look up a shiba inu.

@katamed5205 10 місяців тому

would it be possible to recreate the japanese wolf by cross breeding shiba inu with grey wolves?

@hjalmarfreidenvall1655 Рік тому

Neat

@trexrule5471 Рік тому

can u do ethiopias black maned lions

@raphlvlogs271 Рік тому

Canid species are very diverse but also very similar to each other

@falcolf Рік тому

Considering that North American wolves don't kill livestock (them being responsible statistically for only .0009% of livestock deaths,) I doubt these poor Japanese puppers were either.

@nightowl7261 8 місяців тому

Ya know most "hunters" and ranchers have no problem shooting wolves in the state?

@jonhseven133 11 місяців тому

Nice and free

@user-th7od1bj5w Рік тому

👍👍

@jonhseven133 8 місяців тому

I will be honored when I apply with my resume and then I can be tested

@hebrewisraelitescharleston843 Рік тому

Inuyasha makes a whole lot of sense now

@revertedakhi Рік тому

That's what humans do best. Drive animals to extinction.

@raddadray7535 Рік тому

Ain’t that the truth!

@UmamiPapi Рік тому

To see these creatures in Heaven will be a great joy. I love all different animals.

@blackchang1981 Рік тому

Okami 🐺 🌅⛩️🇯🇵

@wajdar8741 Рік тому

Honshu Vanished Extinct Dissappear

@aryantiwari1297 Рік тому

Edwin dun was very mad.

@beachboy0505 Рік тому

0:15 The wolf 🐺 is dead 💀. No spirit

@raddadray7535 Рік тому

Wait a go Edwin.

@SpammytheHedgehog Рік тому

Why did wolves had to go out in Japan? 😭 🐺

@nawa246 Рік тому

Wolves are ancestors of dogs I 🤔 Nice In for

@PennyRed1 Рік тому

Its very sad these cowards ate and killed these animals of god! Savages, these people are the rabid animals not the wolf in his natural habitat

@awesomeocelot7475 Рік тому

Yeah really. Eating animals is fine as it’s a thing in nature but when you eat it so much where it goes extinct that’s the problem…..

@beautyonabarnbudget Рік тому

These wolves were small! Really tiny! 12 inches at most. These 🐺 wolves didn't harm anyone or anything but rodents

@YamiKisara Рік тому

You have no idea how powerful predators are, huh?

@tau-5794 Рік тому

Honshu wolves were only a little smaller than grey wolves, they definitely weren't chihuahua sized.

@ericdpeerik3928 Рік тому

Remember when the wolves in western Europe went extinct? They're back 😂 We don't control everything, specially not wolves

@krimsonkahn6531 Рік тому

Yea cuz we put them there or stopped murdering them

@synivy4576 Рік тому

Yeah but there’s no bringing back the Japanese wolves they were very distinct from other wolf species unlike “Eurasian wolf” which is a subspecies of the gray wolf the most numerous wolf species :((((

@tau-5794 Рік тому

Hokkaido wolves could theoretically be "brought back" since they're a type of eurasian grey wolf, but Honshu wolves, if there aren't any still out there, are irreplaceable since their closest relatives are pleistocene wolves, which are all extinct, and domesticated dogs, and at that point they'd just be glorified feral dogs.