RSPCA issues pet rabbit warning after 80 dumped in woods
The RSPCA is investigating after 81 rabbits were found abandoned at Chaddesley Wood between Kidderminster and Bromsgrove, Worcs.
Members of the public desperately tried to save the bunnies, but 23 died. Another 56 were taken in by Lucky Bunny and Friends Rescue, a small charity based in Dudley, West Mids.
The RSPCA was later contacted again as more rabbits were found, with two more being rescued and taken to a vets.
Pet rabbits are unable to survive in the wild as they are at risk of predators and rely on humans for food and shelter. NimbleFins previously explained how wild rabbits have a lifespan of just one or two years compared to a pet rabbit living until eight to 12-years-old due to these very reasons.
Many were found with wounds, suggesting they had been kept in "poor conditions", RSPCA Inspector Boris Lasserre said.
He added: “Any animal being deliberately left behind to fend for itself is a serious case of neglect, and it is increasingly shocking that so many rabbits are abandoned at the same time.
"We understand that times are tough at the moment but please never abandon your pet but ask for help before things get so desperate or the animal suffers. The RSPCA has a cost of living hub to help owners access help."
Lucky Bunny and Friends Rescue said of the 56 rabbits, 40 were female and thought to be pregnant.
In March 2023, NimbleFins reported how three rabbits were found dead and another severely injured in public woodland.
At the time RSPCA animal rescue officer Steve Wickham, who collected the dead rabbits, said: “It’s a common misconception that domestic rabbits will survive if they are released into the wild and the simple answer is that they won’t."
Cost to keep a rabbit
Abandoned rabbits are becoming "an increasing problem" as the cost of living crisis continues, Mr Lasserre said.
THE RSPCA recorded a 24 percent increase in animal abandonments in Worcestershire since the cost of living crisis began.
There were 209 cases of abandonment in the county in the winter of 2023 compared to 169 in 2021.
Figures have risen across the England and Wales, with a 51 percent increase over the same time period.
In the 2021 winter period - November 2020 to January 2021 - there were 3,071 reports of animal abandonment. This surged to 4,630 last winter - November 2023 to January 2024 - a 51 percent increase.
The charity believes this is partly down to families underestimating the costs involved when buying a rabbit. Research by NimbleFins estimates the cost of keeping a rabbit in the UK per month is between £67 to £76. Set up fees are thought to be just over £600.
Anyone with information about the Worcestershire incident, or who saw anything suspicious in the area, can call the charity’s appeal line confidentially on 0300 123 8018.
Anyone who is unable to care for their rabbit, or any other pet, is urged to call the RSPCA on 0300 123 0650 for practical help and advice, or visit its cost of living hub. You can also call the RSPCA’s special helpline on 0300 123 0650.
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