Some more video of the "notorious" 9...the children born to a bunny rescued by the Heartland Rabbit Sanctuary folks. To recap, mom was captured while running loose in a neighborhood, then on January 4th, 2011...just a few days after her arrival at the sanctuary she gave birth to 11 children. Of those 11....9 have survived and, as you will see on the video, are thriving.
The first part of the video shows them outside when they were about 4 weeks old, it was sunny but windy and you see one of the little ones looking not too happy (about the wind, I think). You will see her in the second part of the video (again outside but about 2 weeks later, when they were around 6 weeks old) looking much more boisterous and energetic. The wind is again blowing (this is Oklahoma, after all) but the kids are too full of energy and life's joy to much care.
As you can see (in the immortal words of Garrison Keillor) all the children are above average in terms of beauty, grace, agility and feistiness. They are each, simultaneously, a delight and a tragedy. It is self-evident why they are a delight.
They each are a tragedy because they are possibly going to have to spend their lives in a shelter for rabbits who have no human family. Oh, they will be loved and appreciated and cared for as well as they can be...but no shelter can offer the benefits available to a bunny (or any companion animal) that is lucky enough to live with a human family that is caring, attentive and compassionate.
The situation is similar to an orphanage for human children, the orphanage may be superlative, but families offer advantages, resources, attention and caring no orphanage can equal. The situation is not identical to a human orphanage because these bunny children have no chance of growing up and going out on their own to live their lives however they want.
Their ancestors were forced to breed by our ancestors and that breeding resulted in beings that are dependent on humans...the bunnies have no chance of surviving on their own...out in the world...those skills and attributes were stolen from them and their ancestors. Now they are stuck with being dependent on humans. Good grief, with our record of behavior toward ourselves much less the other animals on this planet, they are in an existential nightmare.
But, as I noted in my previous post, we can do some repair...they will be safe and sheltered and loved at Heartland for as long as need be and maybe, just maybe, some humans will step up to the plate and give these exquisite children of the Earth the family and life they deserve (and are owed by us humans).
Meantime, enjoy, and if we lived as ethical vegans, the dilemma these babies (and the adult rabbits at Heartland) face would likely not exist. No human would have thought they had the right to interfere with other animal's lives. No "domestication", no "breeding"....none of those tragedies perpetrated because of human arrogance, cruelty and selfishness. Something to think about.
Friday, February 18, 2011
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4 comments:
They really are very beautiful and wonderful. But sadly, as you pointed out, they are also tragic in some ways. I remember in a past post you also pointed out that there are other bunnies in need of rescue who may not have a place due to babies born at the shelter. Not to mention several more little ones who will grow up requiring food and care so it also equals a strain on finances. It is very sad that such beautiful lives can not simply be just beautiful lives, but that they also equal tragedy. And it's "our" (humans') fault. Thanks for the video as well as for advocating for responsibility and common sense on our part.
Thank you Krissa for commenting. For any of the shelter or rescue facilities...capacity, space, staff, funding for medical and other necessities...all of these things have limits at some point. Then new admissions have to be curtailed...babies born mean resources committed to their care, resources then not available for the care of someone else.
Yes, it stinks.
Boy they've grown! They do look bunny-happy and full of the enjoyment of their being! But as you say, with limitations that have been placed upon them through our crude want to "domesticate" them.
I keep trying to look at the positive end - At least they are not isolated singularly, (in neglect) in someone's garage or backyard as I've seen many times. They do have wonderful, loving human care (thank you)... And best of all they have each other!
Thank you Bea for commenting. Ah the kids, they are a treat, no question.
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