All 7 baby rabbits rescued in Seletar die; VFA to re-home adult animals retrieved, plus one newborn

SINGAPORE – All seven kits among the 23 rabbits rescued in Seletar have died, said animal welfare group Voices For Animals (VFA) on Sept 25.

Despite the group’s efforts to provide warmth, care and medical attention since the Sept 18 rescue, the condition of the kits, or baby rabbits, gradually deteriorated, said VFA president Derrick Tan in response to queries.

“Sadly, we began losing the kits one by one, with... one (or) two passing away each day,” he said.

The condition of the 16 adult rabbits recovered from the site is generally stable, Tan said.

One of the adult female rabbits gave birth to three kits during a veterinary examination, Tan said, although he added that two of the newborns were delivered without a heartbeat.

“The veterinarians immediately tried their best to resuscitate them, but despite their efforts, we were unable to revive the two kits,” he said. The last newborn kit remains alive as at Sept 26, and is being closely monitored.

Kits were found ‘extremely vulnerable’

Tan said he was first alerted to the case of alleged abandonment at about 11.45pm on Sept 18, after a friend contacted him saying a “large number” of rabbits were seen hopping around Seletar Farmway 1.

“I had no idea at that point how many rabbits were actually involved or the condition they were in,” he said. “I simply knew that there were reports of numerous rabbits roaming around the area and that immediate assistance was needed.”

He arrived that night to conduct a sweep with his VFA team. His friend was already on-scene and had managed to recover a few of the rabbits, though several others remained hiding inside the boxes he suspects were used to dump them.

In the boxes, the team found seven kits and three adult female adults, and carefully retrieved them all.

The rabbits were found to have health issues, including overgrown nails and skin conditions, according to a medical assessment conducted by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) and vets from The Animal Doctors (TAD) on Sept 21.

Some of them also had wounds, said NParks’ group director for enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok in a media reply on Sept 22.

The adult rabbits recovered were provided with the necessary oral and topical medications, with care instructions issued by AVS and TAD, Tan said. The kits, however, were found wet and cold, and in “much more critical condition”.

“These losses have been extremely difficult for everyone involved. While we were able to recover the rabbits from the site, the condition in which the young kits were found meant that some were already extremely vulnerable by the time they came into our care,” Tan said.

Re-homing efforts

VFA plans to eventually re-home the remaining 17 rabbits, which remain under the group’s care for now.

VFA declined to share where the animals are currently being housed at, but said the animals may be handed over to other organisations as early as Sept 27.

“At this point, the rabbits remain part of the case exhibits for the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding their abandonment,” Tan said.

VFA will work closely with teams from rabbit welfare groups Bunny Wonderland and House Rabbit Society Singapore for the eventual re-homing process.

“Our priority is not simply to find them homes quickly, but to find the right homes – families who understand the commitment involved in caring for rabbits and who will be prepared to care for them for the rest of their lives,” Tan said.

“Abandonment is not a solution,” Tan said, adding that people considering keeping small animals as pets should think carefully before making that commitment.

Kwok said that NParks takes all cases of alleged animal abandonment seriously. She added that the board will take appropriate enforcement action against owners who abandon their pets, fail to provide adequate care for them, or have committed an act of animal cruelty.

“These rabbits had no choice in what happened to them. The least we can do now is give them the protection, care and second chance they deserve,” Tan said.