10 islands completely overrun by hundreds and thousands of animals

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10 Strange Uninhabited Islands
10 Strange Uninhabited Islands

Hawaii. Known for its sun, surf ... and thousands of feral chickens.

Kauai, the fourth largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, has been overtaken by the fowl ... and a without any natural enemies present on the island, there is no sign of their growing population ever slowing down.

This slice of paradise is not the only place completely overrun by animals. Several Japanese islands have attracted tourist attention in recent years thanks to their populations of cuddly creatures. Aoshima, or 'Cat Island,' is a tiny fishing village where felines outnumber humans six to one. Meanwhile, on Okunoshima Island, hundreds of freely roaming rabbits are constantly looking for snacks from visitors. Nearby on Miyajima, there are countless tame deer that are believed to have lived on the island for 6,000 years.

But you don't have to go to Asia to get your fix of free-range animals. Hundreds of feral horses live on Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia. Experts speculate that they are the descendants of horses brought to surrounding islands in the late 17th century to avoid fencing laws and taxation.

However, it is not all bunnies, kitties and ponies. Just off the coast of Brazil, near São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, there is an island that is filled with 2,000 to 4,000 snakes so venomous they can 'melt human flesh.' It is so dangerous, the Brazilian government strictly limits access to the island and requires the unlucky few who go there to have a doctor among their team. Let's just hope that they stick to their private island until the Olympics are over.

Click below to see 10 places completely taken over by animals:

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