A small island that counts just 100 people as inhabitants, but is home to many more stray cats has reportedly survived the destruction from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami last Friday, according to a group that is trying to save animals after the disaster.
"Just to give everyone an update on Tashirojima, the cat island. The people and cats are safe but short of food," the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support group posted in a Facebook message on Monday. "A volunteer looked into transporting food by boat, but there is too much debris in the water. A helicopter is the only way. The army will probably get a helicopter ready soon so we are looking into the possibility of asking them to take cat food too."
The fishing town's residents built a shrine to the numerous cats in their midst. Tashirojima--known familiarly as "Cat Island"--has become a tourist attraction for animal lovers. "The cats here have always been something like a lucky charm for us who bring good catch. We enshrine them because they are important to us," local fisherman Tsuneo Endo said in a 2009 CCTV article. Feeding the strays is thought to bring good fortune.
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