Late this month, rabbits were found abandoned in a residential area in Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and more than 30 rabbits have been rescued so far.
Police are investigating the possibility that someone threw them away, as they have been found one after another in similar locations.
According to the police, on the 20th of this month, a person who was walking his dog on the street in Numama, Zushi City, reported that there was a rabbit on the road.
When police officers arrived, they found the rabbits in a bush near a residential area, and 12 of them were rescued.
A similar report was received four days later on the 24th of this month, and 13 rabbits were found, and after that day, members of the public who found the rabbits brought them to the police station.
As of the 28th, a total of more than 30 rabbits had been found, and they are being protected at animal protection centers in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Since the rabbits have been found one after another in similar locations, police suspect that someone may have abandoned the rabbits, and are proceeding with the investigation with a view to possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act.