Rule number one in an airport: Don’t leave your bags unattended. Especially if they contain an adorable bunny.
Australia’s Adelaide Airport had a security scare when someone left a pink Lorna Jane bag unattended in the women’s toilets. The Australian Federal Police called in the bomb squad to investigate. But, instead of finding an explosive device, the bomb squad discovered a bunny rabbit.
The bunny had no identification – he was only wearing a red harness. The officers called the RSPCA and Rescue Officer Nalika Van Loenen came to collect the furry package.
“This is the first job of this kind that I’ve come across in my 26 years of service with RSPCA,” Rescue Officer Van Loenen said. “The young male rabbit is clearly very well socialized and cared for. He is even harness trained.”
The cops brought the bunny some carrots from a Subway restaurant so he could snack while waiting for the RSPCA. He appeared to be unharmed from the whole ordeal.
“We treat everything in the aviation space very seriously, but our bomb appraisal officers certainly weren’t expecting to find a rabbit in unattended baggage,” said AFP Acting State Manager in South Australia, Commander Brett McCann. “Thankfully the rabbit is safe and well, and hopefully, the owner will be found.”
RSPCA South Australia is now appealing for information from anyone who may know how the Dwarf rabbit, which is about 1 year old, came to be dumped at the airport.
“A couple of scenarios came to mind – his owner could have been leaving the country and knew by leaving their pet in a populated area he would be found and cared for,” Rescue Officer Van Loenen stated. “Or they may have been planning on smuggling him on board a plane, but backed out at the last minute.”
@rspcasa will try and find a home for this cute dwarf rabbit, found abandoned in Adelaide airport toilets. He sparked a bizarre security scare @TenNewsADEL pic.twitter.com/fmJOaH5ylK
— Brett Clappis (@BrettClappis) June 28, 2018
It’s illegal in Australia to abandon an animal, and RSPCA South Australia urges members of the public to show compassion.
“Rabbits are prey animals so they do get scared and stressed easily. He would have been very frightened,” Van Loenen said. “The humane decision would have been to take the rabbit to an animal shelter during opening hours, where there are people who have the knowledge and capacity to take good care of them.”
For more airport shenanigans, check out Pepper the Cat, who evaded capture in the JFK Airport.