RABBIT: how two pets were driven to an early grave

WATCHING that darkly entertaining rabbit saga 'Watership Down' for the umpteenth time recenty reminded me how much we take this likeable little creature for granted.

Sociable and attractive, rabbits enliven our countryside and provide a steady source of food for many predators.

Unfortunately, they also cause many problems for Man.

Farmers often regard rabbits as pests, not only because they eat crops but also because they undermine fields by building warrens.

Spotted scurrying around in local fields, rabbits seem perfectly at home but it's worth remembering they were only introduced to this country in the 12th century from Europe.

Back then, they were prized for their meat and fur and became a major factor in the rural economy.

Today, rabbit meat has fallen way behind other meats in popularity despite remaining a lean and tasty addition to the table.

The population explosion of rabbits was initially curtailed in the 1950s with the introduction of the killer virus myxomatosis.

This not only wiped out the vast majority of rabbits but also led to the decline of many wild predators that fed on them, such as buzzards and stoats.

Since then, rabbits have fought back to their original high numbers and have developed a resistance to the virus which once decimated their ranks.

Breeding success is at the heart of the rabbit's survival with the mother rabbit able to produce up to 20 young each year.

Even these offspring can then breed themselves when they are only four to five months old.

No wonder farmers become exasperated by the sheer numbers of rabbits devastating their crops.

However, Mother Nature tries to even things out.

Most rabbits die before reaching their first birthday, either taken by predators or from more mundane killers such as cold and wet.

Although highly exaggerated in 'Watership Down', rabbits do have a complex social structure within the colony.

Females can be dominant, as well as males, and will drive off subordinate rabbits who trespass on their private patch of warren.

Domesticated rabbits can also make great pets and I should know.

My brother and I used to keep two and spent many happy hours cleaning out their cages, introducing fresh straw, water, and feed when we came back from school.

It gave us a fascinating insight into the animal world.

Sadly, this idyll was soon ended when we also got a dog.

One fateful day, I'd tied the dog up while I let the rabbits 'stretch their legs' on the lawn.

Within seconds, the dog was free and chasing the rabbits round and round the garden.

I managed to catch the dog eventually and recovered the rabbits from neighbouring gardens.

But by then both were severely traumatised and died of shock soon after. After a fitting ceremony, we buried them under a large brick to stop the malicious mutt digging them up again.

RIP Honey and Bubbles.