dams and concrete banks, and invasive species. In particular, it is important to note that the construction of concrete streambanks and agricultural dams throughout the distribution range has imposed a significant negative impact on giant salamanders. Concrete banks have deprived of habitats suited for nesting sites, and dams block migration paths and have caused habitat fragmentation. With the ongoing climate change, it is predicted that frequency and intensity of rainstorms in Japan will increase. These rainstorms will likely destroy stream banks more frequently, which could result in the construction of more flood-control dams and concrete banks. Introgressive hybridization between the native Japanese giant salamander and the introduced Chinese (or South China) giant salamander is one of the major conservation challenges. It has been suggested that although the details are not known, the Chinese giant salamanders imported for food to Japan in 1972 were the sources of the ongoing introgressive hybridization. In Kamo River in Kyoto Prefecture, the study conducted from 2011 to 2013 found that 95% of the captured giant salamanders were hybrids. The introgressive hybridization appears to be spreading across several watersheds. In some regions, giant salamanders used to be hunted as a source of food, but hunting has ceased because of the protection acts established after World War II. Status As of 2022 the Japanese giant salamander is considered Vulnerable by IUCN, and is included on CITES Appendix I. It is considered Vulnerable by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. Additionally, it has been given the highest protection as a "Special Natural Monument" by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1952 due to its cultural and educational significance. Efforts Despite the national protection and conservation status, there have been no conservation programs or actions initiated by the government agencies. Instead, nonprofit organizations such as the Japanese Giant Salamander Society and the Hanzaki Research Institute of Japan have organized volunteers to conduct population assessments in some areas. The Japanese Giant Salamander Society also organizes annual meetings to promote the conservation education and information sharing about the species. There is no range-wide conservation or recovery program, which is essential to the conservation of the species whose populations have been declining throughout its range. The Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park of Japan was the first domestic organization to successfully breed Japanese giant salamanders in captivity. Several of their offspring were given to the National Zoo of the United States to