A Japanese in Fukushima dedicated his life to rescuing cats and other animals that were left behind in the nuclear ghost town.
Sakae Kato, 57, has spent the past 10 years in the nuclear zone to care for these animals, according to Reuters.
The former construction worker and businessman told the news agency that he made a decision after finding dead pets that were abandoned in houses he was hired to demolish.
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“I want to make sure that I’m here to take care of the latter,” he told Reuters. “After that, I want to die, either a day or an hour later.”
Sakae Kato allegedly cares for cats diagnosed with feline leukemia at his home in Fukushima, which is in Namie, a restricted area. (Reuters)
About 160,000 Fukushima residents fled the city after the collapse of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which was triggered by a magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku and caused tsunami waves that reached up to 15 meters, according to with the World Nuclear Association.
The turbulent waters deactivated the power supply and the cooling system of three reactors at the plant. A nuclear accident occurred on March 11, 2011. The consecutive catastrophic events took the lives of 19,300 people and are considered to be the most serious nuclear accidents since Chernobyl.
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But Kato did not abandon the city or home that had been owned by his family for three generations.
Kato, 57, has cared for dozens of cats in Fukushima over the past decade. (Reuters)
He is currently looking after 41 cats in his worn two-story home and in another nearby building on his property. Twenty-three wild cats are reportedly buried in his garden.
In addition to the cats, Kato said he rescued a dog named Pochi and even admitted that he buys food for the wild boars that walk around the house.
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In total, Kato estimates that it cost him $ 7,000 to care for the forgotten animals he found in Fukushima.
Kato estimates it costs him $ 7,000 a month to care for 41 cats, 1 dog and wild boar in Fukushima. (Reuters)
Reuters reports that Kato was arrested on February 25 while local officials suspected the senior altruist had released boars from government-set traps in November. Wild boars are considered pests that destroy crops along with deer, according to The Japan Times.
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A separate report from the national news source says the Japanese government is struggling to get former Fukushima residents back.
The government plans to start a $ 18,328 (¥ 2 million) program in April to encourage the return of residents affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident.
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Travel source Japan-Guide says radiation levels across Fukushima Prefecture have dropped to pre-2011 levels.
Reuters contributed to this report.