Memorable Rabbits Part 8 Hana chan

Hana chan struggled with Pasteurella as long as we knew her

She used to look up when she was not doing well and couldn't breathe well.

Hana chan's partner was head over heels for Hana.

Last time we saw Hana chan in June, 2024.

8/25/26

A female rabbit I named "Hana-chan" lived in the area in front of the hotel—a spot said to have the highest concentration of rabbits on Okunoshima. 

This area is also home to many rats, meaning the rabbits essentially coexist with them; sightings have even been reported of rats preying on newborn kits. Due to the unsanitary conditions, this area also has a high number of sick rabbits.

From the moment I first met Hana-chan, she suffered from severe pasteurellosis; on days when she was feeling unwell, she would often tilt her head upward to breathe. Yet, when she was feeling a bit better, she would show a surprising side of herself by threatening and chasing after other rabbits. She had a partner—though he wasn't exactly faithful—but because he spent so much time with the ailing Hana-chan, he ended up contracting the disease as well. Pasteurellosis is so prevalent on the island that it seems as though not a single rabbit is free from the disease. When the illness manifests in young rabbits, it can lead to death in a matter of weeks.

After we last saw her on June, 2024, her whereabouts became unknown a few months later. Hana-chan’s life was one I was privileged to know for only nine months.