Newborn rabbit litter dies after pregnant rabbit found alongside five others abandoned in Aberdeenshire

A newborn rabbit litter has died after a pregnant household rabbit was found alongside four others in an Aberdeenshire village.

The Scottish SPCA discovered the five rabbits at the Hill of Fare, near the village of Torphins, on May 26.

One of the animals was pregnant, and died alongside her litter after giving birth at the charity’s animal rescue centre.

It comes following a similar discovery of several abandoned rabbits in the same area in February.

The Scottish SPCA believe the rabbits may come from the same household, and have appealed for any members of the public with information into the incident to come forward.

Scottish SPCA inspector, Alexandra Campbell, said: “A total of five rabbits were abandoned.

“One of the animals was pregnant and unfortunately died giving birth at our animal rescue and rehoming centre. Sadly, her litter also passed away.

“In February we attended what we believe may be a related incident where several rabbits had been found abandoned in the same area. Those rabbits were similar in appearance to the five rabbits found recently, so they may be from the same household.

“We know times are tough for a lot of people at the moment but this is not the correct way to give up an animal if you can no longer care for them.

“All of these rabbits are incredibly lucky that they were found. Although there are wild rabbits living in Scotland, these rabbits are domesticated animals and would not have survived the elements and predators in the wild.

“If anyone has any information about either of these incidents, or recognises any of the rabbits involved, they should call our confidential helpline on 03000 999 999.”