Cute animals take over the beach and live the island life
You might have heard about the islands in Japan with the crazy cat populations. There are even more islands throughout the world that have been taken over by cute critters. There are even islands with swimming pigs.
Island ecosystems are very different than mainland ones and once the population of a particular animal grows, it is certainly becomes noticeable. With no where to escape to and usually no natural predator, the populations can quickly skyrocket.
We put together a list of some of the cutest island dwellers out there.
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Check out the photos below of animals enjoying the island life.
Rabbits - Takehara Island, Japan
Takehara Island was home to a poison gas plant during World War II. After the war, the poison was destroyed and the test animals were set loose. There were no natural predators for the rabbits, so the population grew quickly.
Horses - Assateague Island, Maryland
Though the wild horses of Assateague roam close to humans, people are encouraged not to pet or feed them. They are pretty, but have been known to hurt visitors who they try to feed them or get too close.
Puffins - Island of Runde, Norway
Birdwatchers come from all over just to see the puffins on the Island of Runde. These birds are native to the island and their large population is hard to ignore.
Seals - Seal Island, South Africa
Over 60,000 seals live on the rocky shores of Seal Island. The entire island is completely covered with the seals.
Pigs - Island of Big Major Cay, Bahamas
The pigs on this island are a mystery. Popular belief is that sailors left the pigs there with the intent to come back and cook them. The uninhabited island has around 20 pigs who love to swim in the water with visitors.
Chickens - Kauai, Hawaii
Since the roosters, hens, and chicks have no natural predators on this island, the population has gotten out of control. Thousands of chickens now roam the area.
Cats - Tashirojima Island, Japan
The island of Tashirojima has even more cats than it does humans. The island is known as the Island for Cats. Residents love the companions and keep them healthy and well fed.
Monkeys - Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico
Known as Monkey Island, this small island off the coast of Puerto Rico is home to about 1,000 monkeys. The monkeys were brought to the island from India because they are vital for the testing of AIDS vaccines. The population more then doubled.
Deer - Miyajima Island, Japan
The deer on Miyajima island are know for being extremely tame. When residents started feeding them, however, they became completely dependent on humans for food.
Topics Animals
Brittany is an Editorial Art and Photo Intern at Mashable. She received her Commercial Photography degree from Appalachian State University.
