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絶滅危惧種の「ツシマヤマネコ」が生息する長崎県対馬市の広大な山林が競売にかけられている。同市がツシマヤマネコの保護のために買収に動いたが金額面などで折り合わなかった。対馬市内では近年、韓国人による土地の買収が進んでおり、今回の土地も韓国の業者が関心を示しているという報道もある。売却結果によっては、約100匹しかいないと言われているツシマヤマネコの生存にレッドランプが点る可能性がある。
MSN産経ニュースによると、売りに出されているのは、対馬市北東部に位置する上県町の土地（地図の中央付近）。面積は約260万平方キロで、東京ドームの55個分の広さに相当する。市は買収を検討していたが、購入価格や購入後の事業展開などに難点があり、9月2日まで長崎地裁厳原（いづはら）支部によって入札にかけられている。9月4日に開札予定だ。
対馬市内では韓国の業者による土地や施設の買収が進んでおり、前述の記事では以下のように書いてある。
対馬市では近年、韓国人がホテル、釣り宿などを買収した事例がある。韓国から高速船で約１時間と近く、年間約１５万人の韓国人が訪れ、土地の買収も進む。不動産関係者によると、「『韓国にある業者が資料を求めている』と代理人から問い合わせがあった」と、今回の土地にも関心を示しているという。
（MSN産経ニュース「韓国業者も関心、対馬の森林競売に 天然記念物ツシマヤマネコ生息地」2013/8/29 11:27 ）
ツシマヤマネコは長崎県対馬市にだけ生息する野生の猫。約10万年前に陸続きだったユーラシア大陸から渡ってきたと考えられ、ベンガルヤマネコの亜種と考えられている。体はイエネコと同じか、やや大きく、耳の後ろに白斑があるなどの特徴がある。対馬の開発が進み、エサとなる昆虫やネズミが少なくなったことで、1970年代以降、急激に個体数が減った。1995年には環境省レッドリストに、最も絶滅の恐れが高い「絶滅危惧IA類」に指定された。
このネコを保護している対馬野生生物保護センターでは、「ツシマヤマネコは現在の推定生息数が80～110頭と、日本で最も絶滅のおそれの高い動物の一つです。ツシマヤマネコの保護のためには対馬島民のみならず、全国の方々の理解と協力が不可欠です」と訴えている。
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The African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), also known as the desert cat, is a subspecies of the wildcat (F. silvestris). (credit:Getty Images)
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The African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), also known as the desert cat, is a subspecies of the wildcat (F. silvestris). (credit:Getty Images)
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The African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), also known as the desert cat, is a subspecies of the wildcat (F. silvestris). (credit:Getty Images)
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