Spate of rabbit killings spooks village in rural France

[January 28, 2019]    PARIS (Reuters) - Dozens of domestic rabbits have been killed and left outside their hutches in rural Brittany in western France since last summer, but police have found no clues to help them find those responsible.

A woman holds a rabbit near in a hutch in Montbert, France, January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

In a message on their Facebook page, police in the Cotes d'Armor region said that from August to October last year about 100 rabbits were killed in 15 attacks on 10 different private properties in an area around the village of Minihy-Treguier.

Local media have reported that further attacks in recent weeks have now raised that figure to more than 120 rabbits.

"The investigation is under way but so far there have been no arrests. There have been more cases recently," a police officer at the Lannion gendarmerie said.

The killer has made repeated visits to some gardens, killing up to eight animals in one night, but never taking the carcasses away. Chickens in nearby coops were left alone.

Many people in the area breed rabbits for food in cages in their backyards. Rabbit is a popular dish in France and is widely available at butchers and in supermarkets.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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