“I’m sorry about your animals, but your life is more important.”-Kato Tokutaro, head of economics for Tamura City

Hundreds of farm animals, and pets, have been left to die by farmers, and families, who evacuated the radiation danger zone.  Turns out that radiation levels are much higher than officially reported, after one man had his soil privately tested.

Maruzoi Tomishige, a construction worker, got so fed up with the faulty radiation reports that he decided to break police blockades to get back to his home in the farming community.

He said the police were in full nuclear protective suits, they backed down from his demands to let him through.

Maruzoi’s home is in farm territory, Okuma,  just two miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. He said it’s like a scene from a disaster movie: Desolation, farm animals wandering free, no people anywhere.

He was greeted by his dog and cat.  He grabbed clothes and a bag full of dirt.  He rushed out, leaving his pets behind, his dog frantically chasing after him.

Upon returning to the city of Tamura, Maruzoi had the dirt tested for radiation. The radiation level is so high, that it’s likely no one will be able to return to Okuma for 20-30 years!

Most residents of Okuma thought they’d be retuning home by now, that’s why they didn’t rescue their animals.

“They said everything was safe, but look at this mess. Of course the tsunami was higher than we all expected, but why did TEPCo always say everything was definitely okay?”-Tochikubo Jiro, another former Okuma resident

Even if the radiation doesn’t kill the livestock and pets, they’ll die of starvation, because no one is coming for them.