The yamapikarya, or "creature that emits light from its eyes in the mountains", is a cryptid feline that is said to reside in Japan. This mystery feline is specifically reported on Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan.
Witnesses report it to be between 5 and 6.5 feet in length, not counting its long tail that hangs low to the ground. The animal's fur is reported to be yellowish or brown with leopard-like spots. However, some witnesses recall it being more of a green color.
Shimane University ichthyologist Hideo Akiyoshi reportedly came across a yamapikarya while conducting a fish survey. On September 14th, 2007, Hideo had been visiting Iriomote Island's Sakiyama peninsula for his studies. Once the animal noticed him, it turned and ran away. That didn't stop the fear Hideo had felt. He recalled: "At first I thought a wild boar was walking toward me, but when it came right in front of me, my eyes met those of a leopard-like creature. I was scared, thinking, 'I'm going to be attacked'."
Many believe that the yamapikarya could be rare sightings of the iriomote cat. The iriomote cat is an incredibly rare species; one that only resides on Iriomote island. Fewer than 250 adult iriomote cats remain in the wild.
a second version of my Maya avatar, this one fading to transparency to fit with any background MORE AVATARS: https://www.deviantart.com/shadesmaclean/gallery/38250688/Avatars-Banners
Note: Might be on a bit of a cryptid kick for the few next updates! Also, many sources site cryptids as being called UMA (yuuma), or "Unidentified Mysterious Animals". From what I can tell, it stems from UFO (pronounced yuufo in Japanese).
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Distribution: Iriomote, Okinawa
Size: 1.5-2 meters (including tail)
Special characteristics: Brownish with leopard-like spots, long tail that can reach the ground. Agile.
Truth: Some say that yamapikaryaa and the Iriomote cat are the same while others insist the species are completely different.
Yamapikaryaa is a UMA believed to exist on Iriomote, a Japanese island known as the "Galapagos of the East". In the local language, yamapikaryaa means "the creature of the mountains which has flashing eyes". However, people there refer to cats as "maya" and often call the large feline "yamamaya".
Iriomote is most famous for the Iriomote cat which was discovered in 1965 and labeled a natural monument of Japan. An author who specialized in writing scientific descriptions of animals went to the island because of legends he heard of a large feline that lived in the forests. While he did not find a large cat species, he did officially discover the Iriomote cat.
The Iriomote cat is about 50 centimeters long, but locals insist that there is a different, larger species that lives on the island. This larger cat is known as yamapikaryaa. Supposedly, there are records of 47 people encountering yamapikaryaa, primarily in the less developed western parts of the island.
Following World War II, food supplies were extremely low on Iriomote. Some hunters would catch yamapikaryaa and eat them. The number of yamapikaryaa sightings decreased accordingly, and in recent years the cats are almost unheard of.
But that doesn't mean there are o sightings. Every once in a while, a credible witness comes forward to report a yamapikaryaa encounter.
For example, in 2003 a fisherman named Masaichi Shimabukuro stumbled upon a yamapikaryaa in the mountains. He was setting a trap for wild boar and walked about 100 meters from the shore when a large cat jumped down from a bolder in front of him. The cat he saw was about twice as large as the Iriomote cat and was able to jump three meters at a time. He mentioned that the cat was extremely agile.
On September 14, 2007, there was another yamapikaryaa sighting. It happened at about 6:00 pm. Eiyuu Akiyoshi, a professor at Shimane University, was studying the types of fish found near the island when he saw a leopard-like cat. He was on Sakiyama Peninsula on the western half of the island when what he believes to be a yamapikaryaa slowly walked towards him. It got as close as 2.5 meters away from him before noticing him and running away.
The professor first thought it was a boar until he laid eyes on it. He was terrified and thought the cat might attack him. He claims that it was significantly larger than the Iriomote cat with a long tail and spotted fur. He said that it was similar to clouded leopards which are found in Taiwan and other Asian countries.
Currently, there is no definite proof that yamapikaryaa exist, but there are many believable accounts from both people who live on and off the island. Is it really possible that all of these tales are false?
