The Yonaguni or Yonaguni uma (与那国馬) is a critically-endangered Japanese
breed of small
horse. It is native to
Yonaguni Island, in the
Yaeyama Islands in south-western Japan, close to Taiwan. It is one of eight horse breeds native to Japan.
History
In 1968 there were 210 Yonaguni horses. By the early 1980s, the number had fallen to little more than fifty. Numbers subsequently recovered slightly;[2]: 94 85 head were recorded in 2008.[1] The
conservation status of the breed was listed as "critical" by the
FAO in 2007.[3]: 71
Like the other Japanese island breeds, the Yonaguni is small. Average height at the
withers is 116–120 cm (11.2–11.3
h).[1]
References
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abcdBreed data sheet: Yonaguni/Japan . Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2017.