The symbol of the coming year is the Rex rabbit: what tricks will help in 2023

Anna Vladimirovna in a red fur coat, Daria Pavlovna in a smoky gray one, Olga Anatolyevna in a snow-white one, Natalya Konstantinovna in a black and tar one … Yes, that’s right, by name and patronymic, with respect, also with jokes: “If you please, have a bite” . And there – a whole bowl of fresh vegetables … The coming year 2023 will be held under the sign of the Black Water Rabbit. And the Barnaul Zoo did not fail to create a “rabbit paradise”. Zoo director Sergei Pisarev told MK about the nature of the symbol of the coming year, what rabbits prefer and what they avoid in every possible way.

Rabbits are everywhere here, sitting in carved, personalized houses, jumping in pens, hiding behind stumps. New Zealand, California, Penza, Belgian, German … Angora with a gentle, soft fluff. Babies and giants are the size of an average dog.

“In the year of the Rooster, we have collected a collection of various cockerels that live on Earth,” says Sergey Pisarev. – And now we have – “rabbit paradise.” Of course, we could not get all 200 eared breeds. But the most beautiful representatives of the hare family were still collected in their enclosures.

The hardest thing, as Sergey says, was to find Rex rabbits.

This giant stands out sharply among his brothers. From afar, it could be mistaken for a beaver or a dog, if not for the long ears that reach 20 centimeters. They are real locators. To determine the place where the sound comes from, the giants turn their ears 180 degrees. Plus, the giants have powerful hind legs, a wide neck, an impressive head, and crooked mustaches. Not a rabbit, but a rabbit!

“Rex” in Latin means “king, king,” says our interlocutor. “Pay attention to how velvety his fur is, and in his eyes with a veil – infinite kindness …

Picking up this giant is not easy, the weight of the Rex reaches 15 kilograms. To match them and the Flanders – the Belgian giants. Those are generally up to 80 centimeters long.

– If small rabbits are prone to various diseases, then these giants have a fairly strong immune system. They feel good in any conditions. And absolutely not picky about feed.

What is included in their diet?

“First, good, fresh oats. And, of course, vegetables: carrots, cabbage, lettuce. Half a kilogram of vegetables is enough for a rabbit to be full. We must wash the root crops from dirt. We give chalk and bone meal. Plus, our rabbits always have enough hay to chew on.

One of the features of rabbits is that they can sleep with their eyes open. They have a lot in common with cats. They are just as clean, they can lick their paws several times a day, clean their ears and muzzle.

“They are cowards, are rabbits easily frightened?”

– A hare, for example, has long legs, it jumps briskly and runs fast. And in a rabbit, both the hind and front legs are short. He never runs away from anyone. When a threat arises, it instantly rolls over onto its back and begins to actively beat the offender with its paws. Thus, it is protected from a predator.

– Can’t you call rabbits “oblique”?

– “Slanting” are called hares. In order to visually cover more space and timely notice the predator, one eye of the hare looks in one direction, the other in the other. You can’t call a rabbit “oblique”.

– Rabbits are trainable, can they be taught some commands?

“It’s impossible to train a person, but all animals can be trained. Rabbits are very friendly and smart. They can dance, spin around themselves, push balls – “play football”.

Having adapted, the rabbits respond to the call, understand their nickname. They can stand on their hind legs and beg for food. They are good “musicians”, they can growl, squeal, buzz, cackle, hiss, squeal. And when they are happy – grunt and purr. Rabbits are social creatures and need company. In nature, they join their burrows and live in groups.

What surprises you the most about these creatures?

— Beauty, they are very unusual, all very different. And their color is different, and facial expressions, and the length of the legs and ears, and look.

Sergei Pisarev says that rabbits are the favorites of children.

“Look, the parents are calling the kids to the cages for the lions and tigers. And the children are standing, they cannot move away from the rabbits. The kids are very fond of eared, because they are cute, funny, neat. Children love watching rabbits. Let them watch, but we will not allow them to be squeezed.

In nature, wild rabbits live an average of 2 years; in captivity, they can celebrate their tenth anniversary with their owners.

The symbol of the coming 2023 is cautious, gentle, good-natured, energetic, grateful. We would do well to adopt these “rabbit” skills so that the coming year will be successful.