The Fate of 1,000 Stray Cats Living on a Remote Island in Kawasaki City
Stray cats breed in large numbers on a man-made island off-limits to the public. Their small cries are drowned out by the noise of the industrial area.
On Ogishima Island in Tokyo Bay, cats are dying one after another.
This remote island, built in the 1970s, is an artificial island centered on the steel plant of JFE Steel. The island can only be crossed by an underwater tunnel, and only those who are related to the company are allowed to enter the island. The number of cats has gradually increased since the steel mill was first built, and there are now an estimated 1,000 cats living on the island, many of which are suffering from hunger. Mr. A, a former employee who worked there until last year, told us.
“There were no restaurants on the island, so it was difficult for the stray cats to find food, and some of them even drank sewage mixed with dust from the steel mill to keep from starving. I felt so sorry for them that I fed them a few times. However, the company had installed surveillance cameras around the steel mill since 2004 and made the people who fed the animals write a letter of complaint. In fact, when I was caught, I was threatened with being banned from the island if I did it again.
Unable to bear this situation, Ms. A asked for help from several animal welfare organizations, mainly Sachi Animal Support, in September this year. On September 17, the group submitted a letter of request to the president of JFE Holdings to deal with the cats, and by October 10, the company replied that they had started feeding and watering the cats at 28 locations on the island. However, Mr. Yuki Hamada, the representative of the group, pointed out that the problem was still unresolved.
“According to a person who works on the island, there is only enough food for one fish per place, and it is doubtful whether sufficient measures are being taken.
In fact, the steel mill will be closed in 2011. Even if the food problem is solved, if we don’t sterilize the cats and find foster homes for them, a large number of cats will be left behind and may starve to death in two years. In the first place, can we start now and get it done in time? ……”
How does the company plan to deal with this issue? The spokesperson answered as follows.
“We will ask the government for instructions, and if there are any shortages in feeding or watering, we will make up for it.
We must not let the dark future that awaits these cats become a reality.
From the November 5, 2021 issue of FRIDAY
Photo： Afro
