This Japanese Island Is Dwelling to 1,000 Pleasant Rabbits

You realize what they are saying about rabbits. The place there are a couple of, there’s sure to be extra … much more. And in the event you’re a rabbit lover, you need to in all probability contemplate including Ōkunoshima in Japan to your bucket record.

This small island, situated within the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Hiroshima, is best often called Rabbit Island. Ōkunoshima is dwelling to over 1,000 rabbits, who roam the island freely, and are identified for his or her unusually pleasant demeanor.

Whereas consultants don’t totally agree on why or how so many rabbits got here to inhabit the island right this moment, there are some main theories. For one, Ōkunoshima’s historical past isn’t as heat and fuzzy as its present status suggests. Within the late Nineteen Twenties, the Japanese Imperial Military started utilizing the island as a testing website for chemical weapons, most notably poison gasoline. Rabbits had been used within the testing program, and a few imagine that lab employees launched a few of the animals into the wild. A extra cheerful concept says {that a} group of college youngsters introduced rabbits to Ōkunoshima and launched them into the wild within the Seventies.

Immediately Ōkunoshima attracts as many as 100,000 guests annually (that’s roughly 100 folks per rabbit, in the event you do the mathematics) who journey to the island to see the bunnies, feed them, and maybe additionally go to the island’s seashores and soak in its sizzling springs. However the tourism growth has introduced its challenges, to the bunnies—they’re typically fed a weight-reduction plan however guests that is inconsistent with their dietary wants, leading to shorter lifespans.

For those who go, chorus from feeding the rabbits your individual meals. As a substitute, solely give them meals that is been specifically formulated for them (you should buy a bag on the ferry port). Higher but, skip the feeding and observe the rabbits from a distance.

Don’t neglect to study extra in regards to the island at massive, too. The realm is well accessible by bike, and you’ll lease cycles or join a guided tour on the island’s solely resort, Kyukamura Ohkunoshima. There are additionally swimmable seashores in addition to two sizzling springs, and you’ll study extra in regards to the island’s historical past on the sobering Poison Fuel Museum.

Ōkunoshima is accessible by ferry from Tadanoumi Station, situated within the small metropolis of Takehara. It is a common day journey vacation spot for these visiting Hiroshima.