I have just been to Rabbit Island (Okunoshima in Hiroshima Prefecture). I saw the cruelty and sadness that the rabbits have been living in. I do not accept this behavior! Almost all the rabbits were injured, sick or dying. Probably all the rabbits are malnourished because of lack of water (many of the boxes filled with very little water were dirty) and the lack of hay and vegetables.
Tourists may bring vegetables, but they are the wrong kind (there is no protein in cabbage). My solution is to charge visitors a fee, with a percentage being used to hire people to look after the rabbits and the rest paying for nourishing food. Many people and I hope that you change Rabbit Island into an island filled with healthy and happy rabbits.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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