In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes; their population later grew to roughly 10,000 and threatened rare wildlife, but after decades of trapping Japan declared them eradicated in 2024

In a remarkable environmental achievement, Japan has announced the successful elimination of invasive small Indian mongooses, resolving a long-standing ecological dilemma on its UNESCO World Heritage site. The culmination of rigorous trapping, tracking, and monitoring efforts has set the stage for a revitalization of local wildlife populations, positioning this program among the largest mongoose eradications observed globally.