Rabbit – Museum of the Weird

Japan is a wonderfully weird place. Just the other day we shared how Godzilla received Japanese citizenship. A while back we shared information about the mysterious Suicide Forest, where hundreds of individuals go to end their life.

Now we have a couple of other bizarre things to share: two islands.

The first is Aoshima (青島), which has gained the name Cat Island (キャット島 Kyattoshima). Located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, it is a place where there are approximately 6 cats for every 1 human. (Did you know we sell the Crazy Cat Lady game at the Lucky Lizard?) Only about a mile long, cats first arrived on ship and reproduced unchecked. Even if you’re a cat person it’s a little eerie. See the video.

Meanwhile, the island of Ōkunoshima (大久野島) has gained the title Usagi Jima (うさぎ島, “Rabbit Island”) because of a large population of feral rabbits. They are not afraid of humans, as you can see in this video.

Too much of a good thing? Are there other mysteriously populated islands that we should know about? Share it with us and we may feature it (and you) on a future blog.

Fresh fears over a nuclear leak at the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima plant have re-ignited after a rabbit born close to the facility was discovered with no ears.

Locals have been left wondering whether this earless bunny, which was reportedly found near the facility at the end of last month, is the first sign of side effects from the nuclear catastrophe.

The Fukushima plant suffered catastrophic damage when a tsunami, triggered by an earthquake, swept through the facility in March, destroying reactors.

Following a blast at the plant that caused the initial leaks, Japanese officials warned people living near Fukushima to stay indoors, turn off their air conditioning and stop drinking tap water.

Since then, experts have been nervously watching radiation levels in the area around the plant to determine the extent of the leak.

Earlier this week it was revealed the Japanese government has more than doubled the estimate for the amount of radiation released by the plant.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency – a government watchdog – also said during a briefing in Tokyo that it is now believed that reactor cores in some of the units at the plant melted more quickly than previously thought.

A video of the bunny was posted on YouTube and has quickly spread as an internet viral, labelled the ‘nuclear rabbit’.

However according to the website NY Daily News, experts are sceptical as to whether radiation could be responsible for the bunny’s lack of ears.

While high doses of radiation can cause cancer and other major health problems, radiation experts believe the likelihood of the rabbit’s strange features being a result of nuclear mutation is very slim.

Tag: Rabbit

Islands of furry fun…or terror!

EARLESS BUNNY FOUND NEAR FUKUSHIMA PLANT RAISES FEARS