Aoshima, Miyazaki, The Southern Japanese Island That Plays Host to Over 120 Feral Cats

Photographer Thomas Peter has captured gorgeous images of Aoshima, Miyazaki, the southern Japanese island that plays host to over 120 feral cats who outnumber the resident humans at a ratio of 6 to 1.

Originally introduced to the mile-long island of Aoshima to deal with mice that plagued fishermen’s boats, the cats stayed on – and multiplied. More than 120 cats swarm the island with only a handful of humans for company, mostly pensioners who didn’t join the waves of migrants seeking work in the cities after World War Two. Aoshima, a 30-minute ferry ride off the coast of Ehime prefecture, had been home to 900 people in 1945. The only sign of human activity now is the boatload of day-trippers from the mainland, visiting what is locally known as Cat Island.

via The Atlantic

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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