Filing this one under “only in Africa”.
The SPCA is to investigate a scheme in which live rabbits would be sold with loaves of bread for consumption to people living in townships.
This after a packaging company tipped off the anti-animal cruelty organisation following the most “bizarre” quote they had received.
And exactly what was that request?
The quote enquiry requested a minimum of 10 000 boxes which would house a live rabbit each and a loaf of bread to be sold in townships. The e-mail read: “The recipient will slaughter the rabbit and eat it with the loaf of bread. The box will need air holes to enable the rabbit to breathe.”
It said the box should have a handle – “the cheapest would probably be to punch handles into the cardboard”. The material must be “some sort of fluted board – price sensitive flute – but strong enough to hold the rabbit and bread”.
The box would need a divider to separate the rabbit and bread.
“The base of the box will need to be lined with something that can ‘catch’ the faeces/urine and then wrap around the left overs after slaughtering and be thrown away.”
As boxes go, that’s pretty complicated. And while the lining around the base of the box is certainly important, the divider is surely vital. Otherwise, the rabbit would probably eat the bread. If any rabbit did that to my bread, I would kill it. And then have nothing to eat it with.
This is completely different to the South African dish Bunny Chow, which doesn’t actually involve rabbit at all.
Rabbit on bread, although convenient, is actually pretty boring. If you’re going to do it right, may I suggest Nourished Kitchen’s Rabbit in Riesling with winter vegetables & fresh herbs?
Try some fresh bread with it.
Mmmmm, rabbit… Where can I buy one of these bunny boxes, you know, for research and err, for a friend?