An investigation into the plight of the Japanese giant salamander, an amphibian considered “vulnerable” to extinction according to the IUCN, as well as the deeper questions behind its decline.
Why are these “living dinosaurs” whose biology has changed little over millions of years threatened?
Who is protecting them? What systems are in place to stop them from going extinct?
Should biodiversity loss be avoided at all costs? Are local communities necessarily responsible for conservation?
All stories produced with the support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network Asia Pacific Environmental Story Grant.
No one knows how many of these elusive and mysterious creatures are left but time is thought to be running out as artificial barriers fragment their habitat.
The plight of the Japanese giant salamander: ‘23m years of DNA might die out’, The Guardian, 12/01/23
Conservationists are calling for an alternative vision of rural development in order to protect the species from extinction.
The race to save the Japanese giant salamander, The Japan Times, 14/01/23
Deep Dive from The Japan Times – Episode 141: Is it too late to save the Japanese giant salamander?
Featured image © Yukihiro Fukuda/TopOutImages
