In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes

In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes Japan has officially declared the successful eradication of the invasive small Indian mongoose on Amami Oshima, ending a decades-long ecological crisis on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed island. According to an official announcement from Japan’s ministry of the environment, expert panels confirmed that the predators have been completely removed from the 712-square-kilometre island in Kagoshima Prefecture after a long campaign of trapping, tracking and monitoring.A biological control plan gone wrongThe problem began in 1979, when local authorities and residents released about 30 small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) on Amami Oshima. The plan was to use the animals to control the venomous habu snake (Protobothrops flaviviridis), whose bites were a danger to residents and farm workers. But the plan failed because the two species have very different habits. Habu snakes are active at night, while mongooses hunt during the day. Instead of targeting the snakes, the introduced mongooses hunted easier prey, including native birds, small mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Many of these species had e...