Swedish town struck by 'copy-cat' bunny burglar
Rabbit owners in Säffle in western Sweden are hopping mad after the media attention given to their stolen pets seems to have caused even more bunny burglaries.
Nine rabbits vanished from their winter cages over a seven day period during the New Year, taken one by one from people’s gardens around the town.
“It’s been 14 days now, and I still hope to see Molly again,” said Diana Strömsmoen, whose beloved pet rabbit was among the first to go missing, to The Local.
“But I don’t think I ever will.”
Strömsmoen's family was among the first to be struck by the bunny burglar, and noticed that the pet was missing on January 1.
“We went out in the snow with flashlights to feed her, but she wasn’t there,” she said
“The whole family was upset, and I put up pictures in the local supermarkets and flyers in the neighbours’ letterboxes. It wasn’t long before I got a response, but they weren’t ringing about Molly – the neighbours had lost one too!”
Local police have been left scratching their heads as pet rabbits continue to go missing, leaving no leads or traces.
”It’s impossible to solve when we don’t have anything to go on,” said Hasse Ericson of the Säffle police to the Aftonbladet newspaper.
After local media recently picked up the story, concerned pet owners hoped that the increased attention would deter the daring thieves.
However, the media reports appear to have had the exact opposite effect, with the rabbit robberies starting once again, claiming victims number ten and eleven on Saturday.
As the rabbit ransacking hasn’t shown any signs of stopping, police have urged owners to maintain close supervision over their animals.
All the rabbits have disappeared during the night.
“You wonder why it’s happened – it’s something new for us,” said Ericson.
“We have nothing to go on, and no questions to ask the children. We can only hope that the parents take the responsibility of comforting them.”
While some residents may have given up hope, the rabbit riddle has left them baffled.
“I have so many theories about what happened to Molly. At first I thought an animal took her, or that she escaped,” Strömsmoen said.
“But the cage door was shut, so I feel like she must have been stolen.”
Police in Säffle have now made an appeal to the public for tips to help them solve the cottontail conundrum.
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Nine rabbits vanished from their winter cages over a seven day period during the New Year, taken one by one from people’s gardens around the town.
“It’s been 14 days now, and I still hope to see Molly again,” said Diana Strömsmoen, whose beloved pet rabbit was among the first to go missing, to The Local.
“But I don’t think I ever will.”
Strömsmoen's family was among the first to be struck by the bunny burglar, and noticed that the pet was missing on January 1.
“We went out in the snow with flashlights to feed her, but she wasn’t there,” she said
“The whole family was upset, and I put up pictures in the local supermarkets and flyers in the neighbours’ letterboxes. It wasn’t long before I got a response, but they weren’t ringing about Molly – the neighbours had lost one too!”
Local police have been left scratching their heads as pet rabbits continue to go missing, leaving no leads or traces.
”It’s impossible to solve when we don’t have anything to go on,” said Hasse Ericson of the Säffle police to the Aftonbladet newspaper.
After local media recently picked up the story, concerned pet owners hoped that the increased attention would deter the daring thieves.
However, the media reports appear to have had the exact opposite effect, with the rabbit robberies starting once again, claiming victims number ten and eleven on Saturday.
As the rabbit ransacking hasn’t shown any signs of stopping, police have urged owners to maintain close supervision over their animals.
All the rabbits have disappeared during the night.
“You wonder why it’s happened – it’s something new for us,” said Ericson.
“We have nothing to go on, and no questions to ask the children. We can only hope that the parents take the responsibility of comforting them.”
While some residents may have given up hope, the rabbit riddle has left them baffled.
“I have so many theories about what happened to Molly. At first I thought an animal took her, or that she escaped,” Strömsmoen said.
“But the cage door was shut, so I feel like she must have been stolen.”
Police in Säffle have now made an appeal to the public for tips to help them solve the cottontail conundrum.
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