Photo/Illutration A rabbit found near a residential area in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Feb. 28. When a resident tried to rescue the animal, it ran away. (Junji Murakami)

ZUSHI, Kanagawa Prefecture—Residents here are having an early Easter as a bewildering number of bunny rabbits have been spotted on the loose across the city.   

After receiving reports of rabbits hopping along the roads and frolicking in bamboo forests, police conducted multiple searches and have rescued some 30 bunnies as of Feb. 28.

Since the sudden appearance of these animals is unlikely to be the result of wild breeding, Kanagawa prefectural police have also begun investigating the possibility that someone illegally abandoned the rabbits.

The first wayward bunnies were spotted on Feb. 20.

That afternoon, an 82-year-old man was out walking his Shiba Inu when he noticed a flock of crows noisily circling over a bamboo grove. Peering in, he found a large group of rabbits huddled in the grass. Some were injured, their faces having been pecked by crows.

The man sprang into action, wrapped 12 rabbits in his jumper and brought them home.

He then reported the incident to the Zushi Police Station.

“I’m glad they weren’t eaten by the crows,” he said. He shared the story with other residents.

NOT LIKE WILD HARES

After that, reports of rabbit sightings kept pouring in.

“There is a rabbit in front of my house,” one said.

“A rabbit is hopping down the road,” reported another.

Toshikazu Yamamura, 60, who operates Survival Game Field GARDEN-Z nearby, saw more than 10 rabbits jumping out onto a city road while he was driving past on Feb. 23.

He said they were clearly different from wild hares.

“I can’t stand that so many cute rabbits were abandoned,” he posted on social media.

The police searched the area on Feb. 24 and Feb. 27, rescuing more than 10 rabbits, which they turned over to the prefectural animal welfare center for protection.

The police are investigating the possibility that the rabbits were abandoned, which violates the animal welfare law. They are analyzing security camera footage and conducting interviews at pet shops.

The suspected abandonment site is near the Zushi Interchange of Yokohama-Yokosuka Road. The bamboo grove where the rabbits were first found is located within a few minutes' walk from the residential area.

Electrical appliances and plant pots had been dumped in the area previously, and a sign warning against illegal trash disposal has been posted there since.

However, an 84-year-old man who has lived in the area for nearly 50 years said, “This is the first time I’ve seen a bunch of rabbits just thrown away.”

More rabbits have been spotted since the police conducted their searches.

On Feb. 28, a 74-year-old man and TV station staffers spotted a rabbit near a park where children were playing.

The man tried to catch it, but the bunny slipped away.

There have been other sightings in the area, suggesting that several rabbits are still at large.

“I’ve heard that rabbits can reproduce quickly,” the man said. “It could be a problem if the rabbits become wild and disrupt the ecosystem.”

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