Two Rabbity-Type Questions.

[Bigbad]

There’s been a large (I think wild) rabbit coming into my garden for about a week. He’s been eating the fallen leaves and some of the food I put out for the birds.
I put some carrots out a couple of days ago, but they were untouched, and yesterday I put out some lettuce, also left untouched.
I forgot to pick the lettuce up last night, and this morning it had been eaten.
What could have eaten it? Could it have been the hedgehog? I don’t like the idea of anything more ‘sinister’ running around the garden at night!

Up until this morning, I hadn’t tried to get too close to Big Bunny, but something seemed different about him today, so I got as close as I could: He has an eye missing, and a nasty wound above his back leg.
Now yesterday, I saw the magpie attacking him. (I ran out and scared it off).
Do you think that the magpie has caused these kind of injuries?

[237SJ]

Well, I`ve known magpies to peck at lamb eyes so yes, it could have done that. Do you have an animal rescue place near you? That`s the sort of thing they would become involved with as the rabbit could get infection in it`s wounds and suffer.

[hereIam]

Could the poor thing have mixymatosis (can't spell)? Could you not get hold of him and take to the vet to be put out of his misery ?

[Bigbad]

I phoned a local animal rescue centre, 237SJ, and was reluctantly told that if I could get him there, they would have a look at him.
That’s not going to happen - he’s still very active and speedy!

I don’t think it’s Myxomatosis, hereIam, (having looked it up) as the eye is actually missing, and the wound above the leg suggests to me that he’s been attacked.

I don’t go out the front of my house very often, but I did today and found a decapitated wood pigeon!

[hereIam]

If he's active and speedy, let's hope he gets better. Poor thing.

[rsvp]

Is it maybe a hare? -very long ears, more upright gait, bigger all round than a rabbit - not that it matters really cos wild animals are incredibly resilient and if you are sure it isn't mixy then it's likely it's been attacked - it will probably survive as they are programmed to to this.
Magpies, crows etc are well known to attack the weak and vulnerable as are foxes and badgers but bug bun seems capable of hopping out of danger,
Not sure what you mean by anything more sinister in the garden - in UK what exactly can be sinister?

[Bigbad]

No, rsvp, not a hare.
By 'sinister' I mean rats, and I don't like the idea of foxes either!

[Cloverjo]

It could have been a badger that took the food. I don't think a fox would bother with a bit of lettuce, especially as there are rabbits around.

I'd rather have a fox than a badger in my garden. Badgers remind me of giant greasy rats. Horrible things.

[Chipchopper]

A rabbit eating fallen leaves don't seem like normal behavior for a healthy rabbit, therefore I wouldn't rule out the early stages of myxomatosis just yet. A vulnerable animal that is sick can sometimes be attacked, especially the eyes by crows or magpies.

I don't think hedgehogs would have eaten green stuff.

Its my guess that a fox may have eaten the wood pigeons head, for the brain.

Gruesome stuff.....but thats nature!

[rsvp]

Keep us posted Bigbad -

[Bigbad]

Thank you all for your interest.
I’ll let you know in a day or two how things are.

My house borders woodland, with arable fields opposite, so I do get a lot of visitors, but have never seen a fox or a badger.
I once had a problem with rats in the garden, but pulling down a couple of dilapidated sheds fixed that, and I haven’t seen any since, but I guess you never know what’s out there once it’s dark.

[rsvp]

Indeed you don't Bigbad - once when I was living in Africa I went outside at night and met..........no, let's not go there it's too horrible to repeat. :-)

[Bigbad]

I haven’t seen Big Bunny since Friday, when he was being picked on by 3 Magpies.
I chased them off whenever I saw them, but I don’t hold out too much hope.

I don’t understand why they attacked him, nor why he didn’t run away.

Poor Big Bunny. I liked him.