A rabbit was rescued from the corridor of a Bukit Timah condominium, after a whistleblower provided a tip-off that it was "severely emaciated and malnourished" after living for months in a cage piled with faeces.

The case was circulated among the bunny community in Singapore, who shared its location with the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) on Aug. 12.

The bunny was rescued the same day.

Rabbit kept in cage, 'badly neglected' for months

One of the first to hear about the case was a bunny enthusiast, Emilio.

Emilio told Mothership that he received the tip-off at about 3:45pm on Aug. 11 from an acquaintance, whose friend had seen the rabbit at the Sherwood Towers condominium in Bukit Timah.

The whistleblower alleged that a resident there had been keeping the rabbit in a rusty and small cage in the corridor for months "with no hay or water".

According to the whistleblower's description, the rabbit was severely emaciated and malnourished with broken limbs, and its faeces was piling up in front of the cage and onto the corridor floor.

The whistleblower also shared that the rabbit's owner would "buy animals for fun".

Emilio shared that he previously helped to rescue neglected or abandoned rabbits, including one case involving two rabbits and 13 cats in a Sembawang flat.

This was the first time though, that he saw a rabbit in such a bad state.

"It was very heartbreaking," he said.

Whistleblower initially unwilling to provide address

Emilio shared that the whistleblower was initially reluctant to divulge the full address of the unit for fear that the rabbit's owner would find out.

However, information on the rabbit quickly spread to the bunny community in Singapore.

Lynne Tan, co-founder of the Bunny Wonderland animal welfare group, told Mothership that she was tipped off about the rabbit on Aug. 12 by another rescuer named S.

Tan opined that the rabbit "looked badly neglected" from the pictures shared by S, based on its ungroomed, balding fur and splayed front limbs.

Tan added that the piles of poo and calcium buildup (from pee) seen around the enclosure showed that it had not been cleaned for ages.

On Tan's advice, the rescuer subsequently reached out to AVS, but the agency was unable to open a case until the address was provided.

The rescue

Over two days, efforts were made to locate the rabbit.

Based on messages in a bunny rescue group on Telegram, one user was appealing for contact details of residents staying in the condominium.

At around 3:17pm on Aug. 12, a call was issued for volunteers willing to search the condominium for the bunny.

Emilio shared that after "24 hours of persuasion", a rescue coordinator managed to convince the whistleblower to provide the address.

This was circulated to other members in the Telegram group at around 3:24pm.

At around 5:50pm, an AVS officer visited the condominium and rescued the rabbit, Tan said.

She added that an AVS officer told her the rabbit would be brought to an AVS veterinarian for treatment.

"We don't currently know its medical condition, but we have conveyed to AVS that Bunny Wonderland is ready to take in the rabbit if its health is not stable," Tan said.

AVS's statement

In response to Mothership's queries, AVS group director Jessica Kwok confirmed that on Aug. 12, they received feedback regarding a case of alleged failure in duty of care for a pet rabbit in Jalan Anak Bukit.

"The National Parks Board (NParks) takes all feedback received from the public on animal health and welfare seriously," Kwok said.

She added that investigations are ongoing.

'Speak up if you see similar cases'

A post about the case on the Bunny Wonderland Facebook group on Aug. 14 encouraged members of the public to seek help if they see similar cases of abuse or neglect.

"If you see an animal suffering unnecessarily, please be their voice and speak up for them. You could change their life for the better," it wrote.

The post also reminded the public that such reports will be kept anonymous.

Those who encounter such cases can contact the AVS Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 or through their online form here.

They can also contact the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) 24-hour hotline at 6287 5355 extension 9) or submit an online form here.

In 2023, SPCA investigated 915 cases of animal cruelty and welfare issues — the highest in 11 years.

This was a 79 per cent increase in the number of cases from 2022.

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Top image from Emilio / Google Street View.