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Finding 23 rabbits allegedly abandoned along a wet stretch of Seletar Farmway was already upsetting enough.
Finding babies just days old among them? Even worse.
And now, animal welfare group Voices For Animals (VFA) has shared a heartbreaking update that three of those babies have died.
VFA founder Derrick Tan tells 8days.sg that a total of 16 adult rabbits and seven babies were rescued from the area.
The youngest were estimated to be just a few days old. Two adult female rabbits were also found in the same box as the babies, though it is unclear if either, or both, are their mothers.
In an Instagram post about the rescue, VFA initially said it had received a call about 20 to 30 rabbits spotted roaming along Seletar Farmway 1, with some apparently still hiding inside boxes believed to have been used to dump them.
Derrick tells us he received a call from a friend at around 11.45pm on September 18 alerting him to the rabbits.
By the time he arrived, most of the rabbits that had been roaming around had already been caught and secured in boxes.
“There were a few who were timid [and] were still hiding in the boxes, and one box contained the babies with two females in it,” he says.
Derrick and the others then combed the surrounding area to make sure no rabbits had been missed.
He’s unable to say for certain that every rabbit was accounted for, but says they searched the area and didn’t spot any others.
Making matters worse, there had been a heavy downpour and VFA described the surrounding terrain in its Instagram post as wet and damp.
“Many were covered in urine and stains, and the smell was absolutely horrifying,” VFA wrote in its post.
Derrick also tells us many also had visible injuries.
“They were covered in pee stains, and many of them had wounds on them, such as bite wounds. Some do have patches [of] fur lost on them,” he says.
The rabbits have since been examined by vets from AVS and The Animal Doctors.
VFA also says it has evidence showing how the rabbits allegedly ended up there. According to Derrick, video footage captured two people allegedly leaving the rabbits from a vehicle.
“A video [captured] them abandoning the rabbits from the vehicle,” he tells us.
Derrick says one vehicle and two people were involved, and VFA managed to obtain the vehicle’s licence plate number.
The footage has since been handed over to AVS, and Derrick says an investigation is ongoing.
He believes the rabbits likely came from the same household, though no one has contacted VFA to claim ownership or explain how they ended up there.
For Derrick, allegedly leaving this many rabbits in such an environment was particularly upsetting given how vulnerable the animals are.
“It’s actually very cruel to leave the bunnies there like this. They can’t fend for themselves. They are always so fragile, and such harsh terrain can kill them,” he tells us
Derrick says this is the largest rabbit abandonment case VFA has handled, though the group has previously taken in a larger number of rabbits from a breeder who was winding up his business.
For now, the surviving rabbits will remain in care. And looking after that many bunnies at once means plenty of supplies. Derrick says they need hay, supplements, pellets, bedding and other essentials, and he’s already ordered enough to last them around two weeks.
His hope is that by then, some of the rabbits will be ready for their next chapter. Once they’re deemed suitable for rehoming and VFA gets the green light from AVS, the group plans to put them up for adoption.
In its original Instagram post, VFA also had a message for anyone who thinks dumping an unwanted animal somewhere is an easy solution.
“For those who think dumping an animal somewhere is an easy way to get rid of a problem — it is not. These animals were alive, vulnerable and completely dependent on humans,” VFA wrote.
8days.sg has also reached out to AVS but have not received a response at press time.
In Singapore, abandoning a pet is an offence under the Animals and Birds Act.
A first-time offender can face a fine of up to S$10,000, up to 12 months’ jail, or both. For subsequent offences, the maximum penalties rise to a S$20,000 fine, up to two years’ jail, or both.