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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMystery as world's-biggest-rabbit contender dies on United Airlines flight to O'Hare
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/04/26/mystery-over-giant-rabbits-death-united-flight/100920770/LONDON A giant rabbit died in unexplained circumstances on a United Airlines flight from Britain to Chicago in the latest unfortunate incident to hit the beleaguered airline, British media reported Wednesday.
Simon, a 3-foot, 10-month-old Continental Giant rabbit, was found dead after the Boeing 767 landed at Chicago OHare International Airport following its departure from London Heathrow, the Sun newspaper reported.
Rabbit breeder Annette Edwards told the newspaper that the rabbit, which was likely to grow to be the biggest in the world after its father Darius held the title of the worlds biggest rabbit at 4ft 4in long, was being transported to its new celebrity owner. It wasn't immediately clear when the incident occurred and what caused the animal's death.
Simon had a vets check-up three hours before the flight and was fit as a fiddle, Edwards told the Sun. Something very strange has happened and I want to know what. Ive sent rabbits all around the world and nothing like this has happened before. The client who bought Simon is very famous. Hes upset.
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Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)tallahasseedem
(6,716 posts)Holy crap, I needed that in a really bad way. DUzy, best line, give you all the awards....
ROFL!!!
malaise
(268,998 posts)Chiyo-chichi
(3,580 posts)nolabear
(41,963 posts)Well played! 😂
boston bean
(36,221 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Orrex
(63,212 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)There's probably a reason rabbits arent normally that big.
I'm not sure this qualifies as a mystery, sherlock.
Manly_Scream
(72 posts)Or "Continental Giant" as people in the UK call them.
They've existed for at least 100 years and are always at least 3 feet tall.
This rabbit's father is 4 feet, and 9 years old (elderly for a rabbit.)
What *is* concerning however is the age of the rabbit (it was only 10 months old)
Rabbits are an animal that can literally get scared to death. Even my 4-year-old rabbit was getting jittery at the beginning of a car ride, until I kept calming and comforting him (my rabbit lived to be 8 and a half).
I wonder if that's what happened to Simon.
Orrex
(63,212 posts)oasis
(49,387 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)It was probably his first time on a plane, I'd wager that had something to do with it. Plus it was united.
I apologize for not being able to come up with some rabbit puns.
Manly_Scream
(72 posts)Simon's breeder said she's had rabbits on planes before and this never happened.
But how *old* were those rabbits? Had they been on car rides before going on a plane?
What's more, according to HuffPo, Simon was 50 pounds.
It's one thing for a rabbit that's 4'4" to weigh that much, but at 3 feet, that could be too fat, rendering the rabbit's heart weaker than average.
She said the vet said he was "perfectly healthy" but I think some vets out there have given up on telling owners that they're turning their animals into fatasses (according to my Grandma, the vet's okay with the family pug being 30 pounds)
Here in this video, the breeder says that another rabbit named "Jeffery" (also a product of Darius) is "next in line to hold the title" but NOW supposedly it was the very young Simon, who didn't even exist when this video was uploaded :
I wouldn't go as far as to say she's abusing her rabbits, but considering how up in age Darius is, perhaps she's eager to hold onto the spotlight of having the "biggest rabbits ever" and is cramming more calories into Darius's litter than what is optimum.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)That's really all I have to say on the matter.
Manly_Scream
(72 posts)Last edited Sat May 6, 2017, 02:31 AM - Edit history (1)
Let out a "manly scream" if you saw it in person?
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)And then I would laugh. A manly laugh, for manly men such as we.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Horse with no Name
(33,956 posts)They are close and some people cross breed them but they carry different color traits.
Manly_Scream
(72 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)Somebody in authority needs to hop to it and solve this rascally mystery.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)YOU BASTARDS!!!
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)Orrex
(63,212 posts)Thanks to everyone else for playing.
underpants
(182,803 posts)underpants
(182,803 posts)21 likes and 6 responses.
Orrex
(63,212 posts)Raster
(20,998 posts)Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)Eh. Maybe not.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]
Initech
(100,076 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]
boston bean
(36,221 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)We got lucky back in '72:
Horse with no Name
(33,956 posts)Even if they were perfectly healthy 5 minutes before.
DFW
(54,379 posts)The plane was overbooked, and the rabbit got strangled after it refused to give up its seat for a few of United's rodents?
kerry-is-my-prez
(8,133 posts)sedated. It is freezing cold in cargo most of the time.
haele
(12,654 posts)Especially since the rabbit was too large to go under the seat. Or made arrangements to ship over with a shipper that specializes in special cargo and animals. Racing season is starting up, so there would have been several flights for horses from Europe that would have vet techs aboard in case there's trouble available to hitch a ride with.
A few decades ago, I shipped my two kitties with me when I was working out of state several times in a single medium sized dog crate (so they could be together and comfort each other) using Delta, as they had the best reputation for transport of pets in the 1980's and 1990's. But even then, I made sure the stewardesses would check on them during the flight every time after we stopped.
Rabbits are very nervous creatures, and I wouldn't trust shipping them - or birds, for that matter - in the "pressurized cargo" hold section along with the rest of baggage. They can die of fear, and tranquilizers can wear off during long flights.
Haele
Orrex
(63,212 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,686 posts)secondwind
(16,903 posts)Always remind them if you have a pet traveling in the luggage hold
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)The whole plane is pressurized, with the exception of the wheel wells.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,693 posts)All aircraft cargo holds are pressurized but some sections are not heated. Cargo loaders are instructed always to place live animals in whichever hold is heated. If the cargo heating system fails with animals on board (and there is an indicator in the cockpit that lets the crew know), the pilot will land to keep them from freezing - at least, that was the rule at the airline I used to work at.
Even so, I'd never ship an animal in cargo because even though it's reasonably warm and pressurized, it will still be dark and noisy and stressful. The problem might be is that most airlines have size restrictions for animals carried in the cabin (typically they have to be small enough to ride in a carrier that fits under the seat), and they have to be accompanied by a passenger. This, unfortunately, was a 50-lb. rabbit.
I have heard rabbits are very easily stressed, so maybe United didn't do anything wrong (this time).
TeamPooka
(24,226 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)On that leg of the flight?
Liberty Belle
(9,535 posts)wasn't stupid after all, just corrupt in using his campaign funds to pay for it.