Memorable rabbits Part 3 Rapo

Rapo stopped eating as a result of GI stasis

Rapo after recovery from GI stasis

8/12/26

Many of the rabbits on Okunoshima are friendly. However, a rabbit named Rapo, who lived in the open area near the pool, struck me as—in a sense—a classic capricious, fickle rabbit.

This rabbit was incredibly cute and extremely popular. Although the rabbit looked like a girl, he was actually a boy; because of this, he had to move from territory to territory, struggling quite a bit to find a place where he truly belonged.

There was a time when he developed GI stasis and stopped eating entirely—a critical situation—but we managed to nurse it back to health in five or six days by feeding it the only type of puree it would accept, several times a day. Rabbits suffering from GI stasis can be saved if the condition is detected early. You should be alert if a rabbit becomes motionless and stops moving around. Keeping the rabbit's gastrointestinal tract moving is crucial. Once a rabbit realizes it is being helped, it will begin to rely on the person caring for it.

I heard through the grapevine that, after remaining healthy for several years, he eventually fell ill and one day simply vanished. That is the typical way a rabbit on Okunoshima meets its end.