A friend was out walking a few days ago when he saw a rabbit in the distance. As he got closer, he noticed the rabbit was not moving. Thinking this was strange, my friend walked towards the rabbit to see if it was ok or if something was wrong. Once he was in front of the rabbit, my friend realized that the poor animal was stuck in between branches that had fallen. So, as gently as possible, he pushed away the branches to help free the rabbit. Then he waited to make sure the rabbit was able to hop away and not injured. As the rabbit was free, once again, to move around, my friend was relieved and happy that he happened to come by to help with the rabbit’s freedom.
Later, after telling a number of people about this incident, my friend related how he was was shocked at the various differing perspectives of the situation and thoughts about what should have been done.
Before you hear about the different perspectives, what were your thoughts when reading about the situation and the actions of my friend?
Well, read on to hear the opinions that he came across.
Some people felt my friend did a good deed and commended him on his actions;
Some people expressed they would have been fearful to approach the rabbit;
Others questioned the danger of getting injured (scratched or bitten);
What about contracting a disease by getting so close to a wild animal, others asked;
How did my friend know this was a wild and not a domestic rabbit that had been ‘dumped’, others questioned;
And, if it was a domestic rabbit, my friend should have rescued it from the wild and taken it to an animal rescue, some pointed out;
Some people felt he was interfering with the natural course of nature by helping to release the rabbit.
There are probably many other questions and scenarios in between the above.
Whatever you think, and however you feel, about the above scenarios, the important thing is to be educated, knowledgeable, and act with compassion. It is considered normal to tell each other to act with kindness, respect and compassion with other human beings. But, until we live in a universe where it is considered normal to act in the same manner with animals, such as rabbits, we, as inhabitants of this earth, have a lot of work to do. To that end, there will be a lot of education required to propel us towards the peaceful co-existence that many of us are envisioning and that many of us know is possible.
Article written by:
Laila Boulos
Laila Boulos is a passionate, animal-loving, vegan who enjoys writing about, and participating in, social causes that protect animals, the environment and the people on this planet. She understands that we are all interconnected and by working together to care for animals and the environment, everyone benefits. Laila has had the pleasure to live with many animals and knows how affectionate, gentle and fascinating rabbits are to be around and she is pleased to be part of the great team at Abandoned Rabbits to enlighten everyone else.
