There’s An Island In The Pacific Ocean That Is Literally Crawling With Bunnies

Have you ever wanted to feed cute fluffy bunnies out of the palm of your hand? If so, you need to know about this island that’s literally crawling with bunnies. Ōkunoshima (aka Rabbit Island) is located in the Inland Sea of Japan, and it’s just one ferry ride away from the Japanese mainland.

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The mysterious part? No one knows exactly how the rabbits got there. As you may know, between 1929-1945, the Japanese army covertly produced over 6,000 tons of poison gas on Ōkunoshima. Rabbits had been brought to the island back then for testing. So, the rabbits living there today could be their descendants. Apparently, the remote island was an ideal location for the testing because it was far from civilization.

In case you’re wondering if the island is safe these days, it has been declared safe for tourists, according to Oddity Central. However, sources are mixed since the island was never officially decontaminated and some poisonous gas was apparently buried around the island. 

Nevertheless, the island has seen an increasing number tourists in recent years as a result of all the viral videos and cute pictures of bunnies posted on social media. Even with more tourist traffic, the rabbits don’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. Plus, we all know how bunnies like to breed!

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However, not everyone believes these bunnies are related to the test rabbits that were originally brought to the island. Back in 1971, schoolchildren brought a handful of rabbits to the island. Some people think those rabbits helped produce the hundreds or thousands that are there today. The good news for the bunnies, aside from all the company they get in the form of tourists, is that cats and dogs are not allowed on the island, so the rabbits don’t have them as predators.

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In addition to feeding and petting the bunnies, visitors to the island can also camp, golf or lounge on the beach. People can also take tours of the old poisonous gas factories—a decidedly less cute feature of the island, but an important part of its history.