I, of all people, rescued a rabbit.

[Preitler]

Well, now I've got one more buck than I planned for...

A meat breeder down the road, old guy, didn't latch his hutches properly weeks ago, whole litter escaped (***** didn't tell me), one day on my way to the train station I noticed a small rabbit in the bushes. Took me 3 days to build enough trust to get close enough to grab him. He was the sole surviver, all others were already taken by the teeth and claws of the night. So that's a pretty smart guy I reckon. Might have helped that he's agouti, and his siblings were checkered or white.

Returned him to the owner and soon felt bad about it, outside he would have had a good life, most certainly short, but back in the hutch it would have been just a short life. He showed an interesting character outside, but was a heap of skittish, nervous fur in the (very small) hutch. And he wouldn't have gotten very old anyway since the old guy has to give up his hobby now.

Sooo, I've got a new boy, about 3 months old. With a crooked ear, both lean heavily to the right . And he's amazing. So friendly, curious, and happy to see me every time. The girls are fond of him too, just dropped flat in anticipation when I let him out in the garden with them but he's too young for that . Such a little happy camper, binkying all over the place now.
Nontypical for me, he already has a name. "Hansi", after my father who died not long after this little guy was born.

Sorry, no pictures yet. Will post as soon as I get some.

 

[Mileybun]

Yay, what a lucky bunny you found him!

 

[Preitler]

Couldn't get any pictures when he was out in the garden, my camera just is too slow , so a few pics from inside the hutch.

By now I don't let him out with the girls anymore, they know he's a boy, and he starts to get an idea about that too . I think his left ear is straighting out, not falling to the right anymore.

Now thinking about how to change the hutches so that they can interect through the wire, now his one is half a meter away from the others.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

That is just awesome--happy life to all of you!

 

[Lokin4AReason]

Time will tell at who saved who =)

Over time , all little one s aka little individual s will show you compassion and they will fill your heart will that result

You have a proud little keeper there ( 1st foto with him standing tall )

Also glad the old man gave up the hobby ( its a cruel one at that , jmo ) and hopefully the daily newspaper n coffee will keep him busy .

Besides that , good save and he ll love s you for it =)

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Our companions face many dangers from predators and humans.

All rabbits who connect w/ kind humans are lucky to be loved. I glance around at the rescues or adopteds we care for, and know the stories of humans who view lagomorphs as disposable objects.

After releasing one batch of rehabbed youngsters, finding the headless body of a cottontail underneath an evergreen had critical impact on my caring, nurture and save, human ways. In Rabbit Rescue circles and on forums, we are aware of the dumped, abandoned unwanteds.

Yes, I find the ones who are rescued are truly grateful. They hear the screams of their littermates or kin. Please apply many kisses on Hansi for me.

 

[user 36850]

Thank you for saving this bun!
I think he'll grow into his ears
For now I'd think its safest if he can't interact directly with the others through the wire - rabbits can hurt each other through wire and not rarely, they will. A distance of a few centimenters will keep the buns safe and still enable them to smell and see and hear each other. (Maybe you know all this, I'm new to these forums).
Anyway, he is a gorgeous boy and he seems to have a wonderful personality too!

 

[Preitler]

Well, I guess I do some things different than other people. I do not worry about any aggressions.

Also, there is a reason for this thread title, meant to point out that I'm not new to rabbits, and not very likely to succumb to an emotional decision like this. Those who know me know why.

I do not share that view about them being in danger from all sides, no, they aren't.

The reason why I took this guy in was his personality, which I got to know the 3 days it took me to build enough trust to get close enough to grab him. My current buck is from other lines, and he's my only rabbit that flinches when I drop a pan or such right beside him. Sweet character, but there is some skittishness buried deep within. This boy doesn't have that.

He'll get his chance to becoming my next herd buck next year, if that works out I consider having my house bunny Pacino neutered for good.

 

[overhear]

Couldn't get any pictures when he was out in the garden, my camera just is too slow , so a few pics from inside the hutch.

By now I don't let him out with the girls anymore, they know he's a boy, and he starts to get an idea about that too . I think his left ear is straighting out, not falling to the right anymore.

Now thinking about how to change the hutches so that they can interect through the wire, now his one is half a meter away from the others.

He's beautiful!

 

[Preitler]

Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?

Spent hours fixing the fence, closed every tiny loophole, let him out of his hutch, go to check the gate - turn around and he's right behind me, on a doe (luckily a spayed one), trying to do what rabbits do best. Plucked him off and put him back into his section of the garden, he turns around, jumps up the fence (Top of the fence is a wire tunnel that connects two oposing hutches), climbs the rest and is over it in no time again. I begin to understand why this guy survived outside for weeks.

*sigh*, there goes my plan of letting them all out during daytime simultanously, with him being inside the fence, the girls outside. There are too many improvised spots, need to get some chicken wire (as addition to the chain link fence) and redo everything properly. So it's back to some hours outside in the evening for now, but at least I tripled his hutch space, connected a hutch the does didn't use much anyway.

Had totally forgotten what a bundle of energy a young buck can be.

Got a picture of him outside today, and one of the girls out grazing:

 

[overhear]

Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?

Spent hours fixing the fence, closed every tiny loophole, let him out of his hutch, go to check the gate - turn around and he's right behind me, on a doe (luckily a spayed one), trying to do what rabbits do best. Plucked him off and put him back into his section of the garden, he turns around, jumps up the fence (Top of the fence is a wire tunnel that connects two oposing hutches), climbs the rest and is over it in no time again. I begin to understand why this guy survived outside for weeks.

*sigh*, there goes my plan of letting them all out during daytime simultanously, with him being inside the fence, the girls outside. There are too many improvised spots, need to get some chicken wire (as addition to the chain link fence) and redo everything properly. So it's back to some hours outside in the evening for now, but at least I tripled his hutch space, connected a hutch the does didn't use much anyway.

Had totally forgotten what a bundle of energy a young buck can be.

Got a picture of him outside today, and one of the girls out grazing:

He is one lucky rabbit! And a very handsome young man too! Sounds like he's going to be shaking things up a bit.