South Africans react to bunny business

Some are angered at the decision while others believe it's how the food chain works.

The City of Ekurhuleni is set to donate the bunnies to the zoo.

LISTEN: Benoni bunnies to be fed to zoo animals

The municipality says the donation is being made in order to get rid of excess rabbits at the Benoni Bunny Park.

Here's what some of our listeners have had to say:

Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe says the excessive rabbits in the park have presented various challenges such as lack of control over the population growth, which leads to inbreeding and decline in intrinsic immunity, resulting in the outbreak of disease and high parasite loads. 

"While the practice of free roaming rabbits at Bunny Park is an inherited and accepted management practice, it has however, became an increasing concern to animal rights organisations in recent years especially in relation to inbreeding. We have decided that from a zoological point of view, this is no longer the best practice," Gadebe says.

The City's policy in keeping of livestock, makes provision for the disposal of excess livestock through a number of ways including selling the excess animals and donation of animals.

 

"Already, 750 rabbits were sterilised at the cost of R300 000 and sent to new homes; and despite this costly exercise an estimated 2 000 rabbits remain in the park and it would not be financially viable to attempt to sterilise them all," Gadebe says.