Yes, really. I’ve never heard anything like this since the Chupacabra hit Mexico. I was living in Monterrey, Mexico at the time and found the shocking news hard to believe. Goats were found dead and drained of blood with puncture wounds decorating their dessicated hides.
Ultimately, the Chupacabra thing proved to be an overblown local phenomenon with no legs beyond the superstitious spheres that spawned the rumors—it petered out over the months that followed.
But this is different. This is happening in Germany, home of the meticulous and the rational—a place where superstition is considered more akin to conspiracy theory. Interestingly enough, it’s also a land where backyard rabbit keeping is always in vogue, though I’m not 100% sure some of these lagamorphs are not intended for human consumption (this is Continental Europe, after all).
OK so down to brass tacks: It seems that someone is killing backyard bunnies in horrifying ways. The rabbits are beheaded and exsanguinated then left in plain view for owners to discover.
Owners of more than 30 pet rabbits in the sleepy towns of the Ruhr Valley have been shocked to find their rabbits thus murdered. And children in a local school zone were treated to the sight of several beheaded bodies in a pit.
Cheeky allusions to Glen Close aside, this is a truly frightening prospect for anyone who loves their creatures and cares for them with maternal precision.
Authorities are taking the killing seriously, using satellite images to locate rabbit hutched homes and inform residents of the wave of animal cruelty taking place in their neighborhoods. After all, a demented serial killer of rabbits may well progress to murdering humans, maybe children.
Rabbit lovers have taken to bringing their rabbits inside or to hiding their hutches in backyard forested areas to thwart the predator(s). Locks adorn hutches in the towns of Witten and Dortmund.
It’s hard to conceive of hysteria afflicting Germany over the deaths of a few rabbits but the neighbors are scared—and rightfully so. If my goats became the target of such criminals I’d take to keeping them locked in indoor crates overnight—and I doubt my local Miami press would look beyond the Chupacabra myth, much less contemplate aerial photographs to help me solve the mystery and apprehend the guilty parties. That knowledge is enough to make me wish I lived in Germany.
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It's scary isn't it (yet another reason I'm glad my rabbits live indoors, with the benefit of supervised exercise outdoors in nice weather), I hope they catch the sick person doing this soon. Btw, Germany isn't really as peasant based as France, Italy etc and as such breeding rabbits for human consumption is about as (relatively) uncommon as it is in Britain/the US; at least that's case in urban Dortmund in northern Germany.
Sian July 10th, 2008 11:25:00 AM
My Mom's family raised/ate rabbits in Seukendorf (30-40's) , but I doubt if any distant relatives of her still there do!
Cruelty/abuse to animals is one step away from human abuse; perhaps that is the mode of thinking of the German citizens. I'd be curious to learn the 'punishment' the sick individual(s) receives when caught/convicted.
Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire July 10th, 2008 07:38:00 PM
Sick people. Sad world.
Circe July 10th, 2008 08:39:00 PM
Oh yes-could somebody please explain the Chupacabra to me please? I've never heard of it.
Sian July 11th, 2008 07:14:00 AM
Sian: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra
anonymous in boston July 11th, 2008 09:16:00 AM
Wow, that is really disturbing.
Re:
" After all, a demented serial killer of rabbits may well progress to murdering humans, maybe children."
This is a very good point -- that connection is proven. Pet-Abuse.com is a good site that has information on the "abuse connection." Many of us know that this is how Jeffrey Dahmer and his ilk got started.
My bet is a couple of disturbed teenagers.
And, even if some of these rabbits are destined for the dinner table, I have to admit that the life they have had in the backyard is a heck of a lot more human than that most food animals get here in the U.S. -- or most places including Germany no doubt.
I'm glad the authorities are taking this seriously. It will be interesting to see what kind of sentence/punishment is given to them when they are caught. In addition to animal cruelty, this can no doubt be considered a form of terrorism -- the psychological state of the community must be one of fear, constantly, for their own wellbeing in addition to that of their pets.
Stefani July 11th, 2008 12:18:00 PM
I confidently predict that this will be like all the animal mutilation panics (English horse ripping, American cattle mutilation) and have nothing to do with mysterious human sadists but the increase in something like a raptor, feral carnivore or rodents. Humans have an innate tendence to attribute actions to other humans, and misinterpret routine effects of predations, scavending and decay. For a start, exsanguination is a routine misinterpetation of blood settling and degrading which even vets not experienced in necropsy tend to fall into.
emily July 11th, 2008 01:38:00 PM
There's a special place in Hell for those who harm innocent creatures.
Dave July 11th, 2008 02:11:00 PM
It's just so sad to see that people would do these kinds of things! If it goes to people, heck, I'm going to carpool like crazy. Saftey in numbers after all. I think if the attacks start occuring on humans, I'm praying that it will not strike in America. Hopefully they catch this guy. Maybe they are not operationg alone and they might squeeze some info out of someone who they thing might be a partner in crime. The people could possibly put cameras out in front of their houses that cannot be seen. They could moniter it and see who might be causing this. I read in another place that it might be Satanists gathering to make an offering. If it goes to children, I'm going to be driving to school! They better catch that serial killer!
Hannah July 11th, 2008 06:47:00 PM
Nice bit of humourous xenophobia about Continental Europe there... *rolls eyes*
Still, it is a grim and worrying story.
Alex July 14th, 2008 05:56:00 AM
Xenophobia? I love edible rabbit and nearly cried when a nearby rabbit farmer went out of business. Really. btw, Alex, did you get my email response?
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I'm glad the authorities are taking this seriously. It will be interesting to see what kind of sentence/punishment is given to them when they are caught. In addition to animal cruelty, this can no doubt be considered a form of terrorism -- the psychological state of the community must be one of fear, constantly, for their own wellbeing in addition to that of their pets.
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