Helsinki Zoo feeds bunnies to the lions

Helsinki has found a novel solution to the age-old problem of urban rabbits. They will soon be on the menu for the city zoo’s vultures, wolverines and lions.

The zoo, located on Korkeasaari Island, will introduce the new bunny offerings at the end of the month, according to a report by the Helsingin Sanomat. The domestic diet will be sourced from greens and parks patrolled by the city’s Building Services Unit. The zoo system will play an important part in maintaining Helsinki’s fragile ecosystem, which has often come under threat from the city’s resilient rabbit population.

The bunny proposal had been in discussion since springtime this year and was finalised when zoo veterinarian Eeva Rudback sent an email confirmation to Building Services project planner Antti Rautiainen. Rautiainen’s proposal stated that a rabbit carcass of 1-2 kilograms would cost the zoo two euros, which Rudback accepted.

The new agreement would mean an end to the importation of frozen Hungarian rabbits which until now have been delivered via Estonia, from their home on the rabbit farms of the puszta plains. The cost to transport the frozen bunnies has risen to over 10 Euros per kilo making the home-grown alternative both cheaper and more sustainable.

The agreement is a natural match for the Building Services: a rabbit population that needs to be contained and a means of disposal to a client grateful for the furry food. The zoo has even extended its offer to hunting enthusiasts and private entrepreneurs, who can make a few extra euros from their excess bunny baggage.