# Odd wild rabbit refuge behaviour - is this normal, or just a quirk?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-wild-rabbit-refuge-behaviour-is-this-normal-or-just-a-quirk/578767>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 17, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-wild-rabbit-refuge-behaviour-is-this-normal-or-just-a-quirk/578767 "2011-04-17T22:54:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-wild-rabbit-refuge-behaviour-is-this-normal-or-just-a-quirk/578767/21 "2011-04-18T14:27:57Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> The cat was almost upon the rabbit when she arrived on scene and she expected the chase to be over without any hope of being curtailed, but the rabbit then turned and ran straight toward her, and lay down on the ground - literally right in front of her feet - and it allowed her to pick it up without struggling or trying to escape.

Isn’t this the behavior referred to as “going tharn” in _Watership Down_?

Your sister is fortunate that when she picked it up, the rabbit didn’t start screaming bloody murder. I’ve had that happen when removing young rabbits from the garden. Apparently this is supposed to be unnerving enough that you’ll drop the rabbit which can then escape.

I guess if you breed in large enough numbers you don’t need smart survival strategies.

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