Will Ohkunoshima ever end?

6/14/24

The day will eventually come when there are no longer any rabbits left on Okunoshima. This will not be due to wild boars, crows, hawks or rats.

It will be because of humans. Humans are the root cause.

Of course, these animals do prey on the rabbits. However, the reason they are able to prey on them is that humans feed the rabbits—especially the young ones—excessive amounts of raw vegetables; this causes gas to build up in their stomachs, leaving them immobilized by pain, and as a result, their natural predators can catch them with ease.

There are also instances where humans accidentally step on the rabbits—particularly children—causing fractures that render the rabbits unable to move.

Furthermore, the rabbits on the island are afflicted with a wide variety of infectious diseases. Their average lifespan is a mere one year—two years at most. The young rabbits are easily picked off by predators, while the adults succumb to illness. This is the reason why the rabbit population is plummeting.

To halt this decline, it is crucial that the young rabbits are able to grow up safely.

Yet, why do people continue to bring large quantities of cabbage and carrots to feed to the young rabbits?

It will inevitably lead to their deaths. Please stop doing this.

Additionally, please supervise your children to ensure they do not run around blindly. If you do not, the day will surely come when the rabbits vanish from this island forever.

(The rabbit pictured beneath the first signboard is the same young rabbit shown in the second photo. Its abdomen is already distended, and it is unlikely to survive through the weekend.)

baby rabbit with GI stasis