In a story that seemed to be ripped from the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” people in Perry, Iowa, have claimed that a black rabbit had bitten at least one resident last week.
The Perry Police Department have confirmed that video of the rabbit exists in a private “Perry Community” Facebook page.
“Rabbit was taken to the waste treatment plant and released and has not been reported or seen again as far as we know,” a police spokesperson wrote in an email to Fox News Digital.
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Perry is a city of just under 8,000 people, according to the U.S. Census. It’s located northwest of Des Moines in Dallas County, Iowa.
The rabbit (not pictured) that was running loose in Perry, Iowa, was described as having black fur. (iStock)
An Iowa-based rabbit rescue released a statement on Facebook saying that it was “appalled” by how the incident was handled by the police.
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“We want to assure everyone that we are working behind the scenes to find and help this rabbit, who deserves compassion, safe indoor housing, and medical care,” A Home for EveryBunny: Iowa’s Rabbit Rescue’s Facebook post read, which was shared on May 11.
“Rabbit was taken to the waste treatment plant and released and has not been reported or seen again as far as we know,” a police spokesperson wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. (iStock)
The rabbit was likely a pet who was scared after being abandoned, according to A Home for EveryBunny.
As the rabbit had black fur, it was not a wild rabbit, a representative of A Home for EveryBunny: Iowa’s Rabbit Rescue told Fox News Digital via email.
“The only wild cottontails in the state of Iowa are the Eastern Cottontail, which is agouti colored,” the representative wrote. “Since black rabbits aren’t wild, we know it is a domesticated rabbit.”
The only wild rabbits in Iowa are Eastern Cottontails, a rabbit rescue told Fox News Digital. An Eastern Cottontail, pictured, is “agouti” colored, not black. (iStock)
Domesticated rabbits “don’t have the skills to survive in the wild,” according to A Home for EveryBunny.
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“They almost always suffer injury, illness, and in the worst cases, horrific and avoidable death,” the rep said.
Officials from A Home for EveryBunny disputed claims that the rabbit may have been wreaking havoc over the neighborhood.
“As prey animals, rabbits are often misunderstood creatures. Behaviors that appear ‘aggressive’ are actually defensive, as a rabbit is protecting its life, after being left to fend for itself.”
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A pet rabbit is a 10-plus year commitment, a rabbit rescue told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Rabbits are the third-most surrendered pet, according to A Home For EveryBunny,
“In cases like these, it’s best to first reach out to local animal controls and shelters for assistance,” the rep said, adding that if a local animal shelter is not able to assist, to then “reach out to rabbit-specific rescues.”
A Home For EveryBunny stressed that there are “wonderful animal rescues” in Iowa and across the U.S.
“Please reach out to them if you are no longer able to care for your rabbit. And better yet, please do your research before making a rabbit a part of your family. They are a 10+ year commitment.”
