Posted on 08/20/2011 8:28:49 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Dog break-in scares 600 rabbits to death
China Daily/Asia News Network
Thursday, Aug 18, 2011
CHINA - Three dogs broke into a rabbit farm in a village in Zhejiang province and scared 600 rabbits to death.
Yan Fugen, owner of the farm in Haixin village, found about 1,000 rabbits had died after three dogs broke into the farm on Aug 7. He was surprised when he saw the nearly 600 rabbits that had died had no injuries on their bodies.
Chen Dongxiang, an expert with the local animal husbandry bureau, said the deaths were the result of the animals' stress response.
When rabbits or other animals are scared by a severe noise or sudden surprise, their bodies secrete large amounts of adrenaline.
Their sympathetic nervous system also enter into a state of excitation, causing their hearts to beat fast and their organs to function improperly. That can lead to death.
Chen said pheasants, like rabbits, can also be scared to death.
A rabbit-raiser laments the mass deaths of rabbits that are killed by rural dogs at her farm in Haixin village, Binhai town of Wenling city in East China's Zhejiang province, Aug. 7, 2011. Three unclaimed rural dogs raided the farm early in the morning, killing two-thirds of the 1,500 rabbits, adding woes to the already debt-ridden farmer with the direct losses of more than 60,000 yuan ($9,330). [Photo/CFP]
*Three* dogs scared *six hundred* rabbits to death? I’m no animal expert, but that sure doesn’t sound right. Something else had to be going on here.
I’m betting disease...or poison...dogs were a ploy...
I wonder if the “scared” rabbits were sold for food afterwards.
Either way, poor lady.
Agreed, they died...but from what, I bet it was either disease, poison, or gas
No dogs did that, scared or not.
At first, I thought it was because they trampled each other, but that looks like a pretty consistent kill.
Oh, how horrible. That poor woman looks devastated.
I wonder if they can recoup some of their lost income by selling the pelts?
Cheers!
Sounds like they had 400 reasons to be scared. I hope Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La, and Po are OK.
That’s a shame. I have had two rabbits get trapped in my garage overnight that died from fright. Little buggers just can’t take it.
That’s a shame - reminiscent of certain birds which become paralyzed with fear and sometimes die in the presence of a snake.
It may depend on the rabbit - Billy the Exterminator used a live one as bait to catch a troublesome bobcat for relocation.
The rabbit was in its own cage wired to a live trap and spent some time in there right next to the cat before Billy showed up. He looked pretty calm, not so the bobcat.
I’ve read that rabbits do drop dead if frightened. Little guys are so vulnerable to everything it’s a wonder that rabbits aren’t extinct. They come into this world helpless and are in a hole that every cat within 5 miles seems to find. If they make it through that, they still have cats to contend with until they become full size. After that well...it’s the heart thing.
There are some bunnies you just don’t want to mess with!
Cat gets RAPED by a Rabbit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTpNZFK619s
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Maybe that explains why they breed like ... well ... rabbits -- in order to have sufficient numbers to keep the species going.
Not just cats, my dogs relish a nice bunny. And bunnies arent too smart - I’ve had a couple nest right in the back yard.
Yep, I’ve thought about this (ok I love animals) alot.
On another note though, a member of my church actually had a ‘pet’ bunny. I couldn’t believe it but went over to her house and there he was; big as a house kitty, and hopping through the house like he owned the joint! lol He was litter box trained and just the sweetest thing.
I will admit though, with the way our country is crashing, and how the feds are trying everything in their power to further control our food supply, whenever I see a rabbit now I’m thinking ‘food’ and would have no problem with killing one.
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