Run as fast as you can! It’s a stampede! … of cute, little bunnies?
Oh, yes. Watch out or they just might cuddle you to death!
This is an everyday occurrence on the very small island of Okunoshima, which is nicknamed ‘Rabbit Island’, for obvious reasons.
With a circumference of merely 2.5 miles, these rabbits have claimed the island as their new home and trust me, the tourists love it. Many tourists flock to this island for its rich history and natural beauty, but we all know the real reason people come here: to see the bunnies!
If we rewind to a darker time, this island wasn’t always the bunny rabbit paradise it appears to be. From 1929 to 1945, Okunoshima Island served as the base for the Imperial Army’s lethal gas operation. This island was the site where more than 6,000 tons of poison was secretly manufactured and tested.
Yes, that’s right … maybe now you’re getting an idea of what the bunnies were used for. Sad, but true.
Rumor has it that the bunnies were brought to the island to test the effects of the poison that was being manufactured. When World War II ended, the bunnies were released from the factories onto the island and they did what rabbits do best. Bow-chicka-bow-wow…
Today, the skeletons of the long-abandoned factory buildings remain, but the structures have been grown over by nature and ironically are home to many of these rabbits again, only this time without all that poisonous gas.
The Kyukamura Okunoshima Hotel, located on the island, has experienced a large increase in visitors since videos and pictures of the large population of bunnies have surfaced on the Internet. Who wouldn’t love to be surrounded by these adorable furballs? Just remember to bring lots of carrots!
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