When this motorcyclist learned what was inside the cardboard box he spotted, he knew what he had to do.

There are a lot of beautiful sights you might see on an excursion up into the mountains. Depending on the route you take, you can expect forests of green-leafed trees, expansive views of the towns below, or maybe a even waterfall or beautiful sunset if you’re lucky.

But on one of his rides, Japanese YouTube user and motorcycle enthusiast Warosumen came across something much sadder. While making his way down one of his favorite wooded backroads, he noticed a cardboard box in the underbrush. Curious as to why such a thing was in this remote part of the forest, he approached it to find a tiny kitten working its way through a hole that had been punched in the lid.

But the box had more than once occupant. Inside Warosumen discovered five more, bringing the number of abandoned animals in the litter to six.

Filled with a mix of pity for the discarded creatures and anger at who could have done such a thing, Warosumen made the decision to rescue the kittens from their peril.

▼ Note: Synthesized narration, like the kind heard in the video, is commonly used by Japanese YouTubers who want to maintain a degree of anonymity and/or are self-conscious about the sound of their own voice.

As Warosumen points out in the video, the way in which the cats were abandoned is particularly heartless, as it’s not like this is a road on which enough people are passing by that one could have reasonably expected someone to stumble across the kittens and save them.

▼ Can you believe someone would throw this little guy away?

Luckily, Warosumen discovered the box when he did, but now he was faced with a dilemma. Since he was on a motorcycle, it wasn’t like he could toss the cats in his backseat or trunk. He considered riding back home and coming back in his car, but worried the cats might wander off (as one does at the video’s 2:08 mark) and meet their demise before he could return.

So in order to move them to a safe place as soon as possible, he did the only thing he could by putting them into his shoulder bag, zipping it closed, and riding back with his six feline passengers.

▼ A snug fit, but still better than where they were a few moments ago.

Luckily, Warosumen knows a thing or two about taking care of animals, as he’s a dog owner himself. Once back home, he let the cats out of the bag and supplied them with water and food (a bowl of his dog’s kibble, the closest thing to cat food he had on hand) as they adjusted to their new accommodations.

Sadly, the ordeal the kittens had already gone through had weakened one of the six enough that it did not survive much longer. The other five, though, have been placed with loving families or are in the care of animal welfare groups.

We’d like to commend Warosumen for his quick-thinking and kindness, and if any of you would like to be a similar hero to woefully underappreciated animals, contact your local shelter or organization such as Neco Republic, about adoption procedures.

Source: Grape

Images: YouTube/ワロスメン