Memorable Rabbits Part 4 (Visi chan)

The rabbit was writhing in agony when found

Unable to eat or drink, the rabbit went into convulsion

not much treatment was done at hospital, hospitalization was refused

8/16/26

Memorable rabbits   Part 4 (Visi chan)

I found a rabbit near the visitor center early in the morning, writhing in agony. Her body was convulsing, and it seemed there was nothing to be done. 

It appeared unlikely to survive much longer, but it was a Saturday—a day when tourists flock to the area. Unable to simply leave her there, we placed her in a box and hid her in a secluded spot. We checked on her several times; though she was barely clinging to life, she was naturally unable to eat or drink anything.

When we went to check on her the next morning, to our surprise, she was still alive.  However, she didn't look like she would recover on her own, yet we couldn't simply leave her there, so we decided to take her to a veterinary clinic. This rabbit became the very first one we rescued and brought off the island. 

Maggots were swarming out from near the eye of the rabbit—named Visi-chan—on the Shinkansen, and I desperately tried to remove them with my fingers. Each time I did, the skin on its face would peel away. The word “hopeless” flashed before my eyes.

The vet was cold toward Visi-chan because she was a rabbit from Okunoshima. She received no real treatment, and hospitalization was refused. 

On the way back, while waiting at Mihara Port for the ferry to Okunoshima, Biji-chan’s life slipped away—snapping just like a broken thread.  An indescribable rage welled up inside me.