Japanese island limits tourist numbers to prevent cat-astrophe
A Japanese island is imposing a tourist cap to help protect its wildcat population.
Iriomote, in Okinawa is home to Iriomote wildcats which are native to the island and endangered.
Authorities plan to restrict tourists to 1,200 per day,
This will help protect the wildcat’s natural habitat, the Okinawa prefectural government says.
The island is home to only 2,400 residents and welcomes about 300,000 visitors each tear.
Due to the limited tourist season, it would significantly reduce the number of visitors annually.
The government says on peak days, the number of visitors has led to water shortages.
There have also been traffic accidents which have killed wildcats.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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