Japan’s cherry blossoms under threat from hungry rats who can’t find acorns in its southern islands
- The Ryukyu long-haired rats are only found on the southern islands of Amami-Oshima and Tokunoshima
- They are dying out due to a decline in acorn crops, deforestation and the development of the islands
The Ryukyu long-haired rats are only found on the islands of Amami-Oshima and Tokunoshima, off Kagoshima Prefecture, and typically feed on acorns. This year, however, the critically endangered rats are feasting on the blossoms of the cherry trees as soon as they appear.
“For the last few years, there have been fewer and fewer acorns at this time of year, although we are not sure why,” said Tatsuya Hiragi, of the Amami Museum.
“The rats feed on the acorns but we think that with the reduced crop over the last few years, they are finding it difficult to locate enough food to survive,” he said.
“These are already an endangered species and although we do not know exactly how many rats are on the islands, we know it is not a large number and something like this could be a serious problem for their population here,” Hiragi said.
In an effort to stave off hunger, the rats have apparently taken to eating the cherry tree blossoms as soon as they appear.