待ちつづける動物たち　福島第一原発20キロ圏内のそれから

photos of the abandoned animals 2 - inside radius evacuation zone, fukushima- they are still patiently waiting for
A day after the tsunami damaged a nuclear reactor at Fukushima on 11 March 2011, inhabitants living within 20km of the power plant were forcibly evacuated. They were not allowed to take their personal belongings, pets and farm animals with them. On 14 March, the hydrogen explosion at the power plant made it unlikely that the evacuees might be allowed to return home on time to find their animals alive.

A few weeks after the disaster, Japanese photographer Yasusuke Ota accompanied a group of volunteers who entered the 'No go' area at risk to their own life to bring food and water to the animals. They 'found themselves in a hell on earth.' The surviving animals are still - 18 months later - patiently waiting for owners to come back.