Get smothered in twitchy fur on ‘Bunny Island’




Hundreds of them. And the best thing is, they swarm you like the rats to the Pied Piper.

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army used the island land to produce six kilotons of mustard gas. The island was so secret that it was erased from maps, local residents were warned to stay away and potential employees were kept in the dark about the product that was being manufactured. Even today, the island’s groundwater remains unsafe to drink.

Did the weapons of mass destruction create a race of mutant bunnies? Probably not.

Apparently rabbits were used as gas test subjects; 200 of the poor things were reportedly euthanized by the Americans during the Occupation.

Perhaps some escaped that fate or maybe a few bunnies were introduced afterwards. With no predators around and rabbits being rabbits, it’s not hard to see how bunnies could become the dominant critter on a 700,000 square-meter island.

Unlike wildlife preserves, Okunoshima Island encourages its tourists to feed the animals. In return, you’re likely to get a soft, furry group hug.

Mike Moffitt