Fukushima: a 10 años del desastre nuclear laverdadnoticias.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from laverdadnoticias.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UPDATED: March 8, 2021 18:41 IST
Sakae Kato lies in bed next to Charm, a cat who he rescued five years ago who is infected with feline leukemia virus (Picture Credits: Reuters)
A decade ago, Sakae Kato stayed behind to rescue cats abandoned by neighbours who fled the radiation clouds belching from the nearby Fukushima nuclear plant. He won’t leave.
“I want to make sure I am here to take care of the last one,” he said from his home in the contaminated quarantine zone. “After that I want to die, whether that be a day or hour later.”
So far, he has buried 23 cats in his garden, the most recent graves disturbed by wild boars that roam the depopulated community. He is looking after 41 others in his home and another empty building on his property.
El hombre que cuida a los gatos de Fukushima elperiodico.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from elperiodico.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sakae Kato lives in a wooden house near the Fukushima nuclear zone. Sakae Kato and his cats. | Photo Credit: Twitter
Fukushima: Back in 2011, a tragedy took place at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station. This nuclear debacle is considered one of the most deadly accidents since Chernobyl back in 1986.
Back when the accident happened, a man named Sakae Kato decided to stay back in the nuclear zone for a simple reason- he did not want to abandon the cats that were left by the families living in the area due to the fear of contamination.
Ten years down the line, he is still there, taking good care of them. Back then, Kato had around 64 cats, out of which he buried 23 of them. He is looking after the 41 alive felines. He also took in a dog named Pochi.