# The Giant Rabbit Story **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 20, 2015, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327 "2015-08-20T07:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/1 "2015-08-20T07:02:21Z")
My friend didn’t hear this story, and he’s a PhD. So, I figured this story is important enough that Dopers should be informed about it. The Giant Rabbit Story: Part 1 This German guy bred giant rabbits as a way to combat starvation in developing countries. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/38/c5/78/38c57854a2e1fee2a42356be97bec8f3.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/38/c5/78/38c57854a2e1fee2a42356be97bec8f3.jpg) Part 2: He donated 10 breeding pairs (20 rabbits) to North Korea to help them with their famine situation. > **[Fat German Rabbits to Feed Poor: Monster Bunnies For North Korea](https://www.spiegel.de/international/fat-german-rabbits-to-feed-poor-monster-bunnies-for-north-korea-a-458863.html)** > > An east German pensioner who breeds rabbits the size of dogs has been asked by North Korea to help set up a big bunny farm to alleviate food shortages in the communist country. Now journalists and rabbit gourmets from around the world are thumping at... Part 3: He goes back later to check on how the breeding program is going, and the North Koreans say, “What rabbits?” Apparently, the second the rabbits were delivered, the elite members of the government had a huge feast and ate all the rabbits. Part X: German guy was not amused. Moral: FU North Korea. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/2 "2015-08-20T07:52:08Z")
Do you have cite for #3? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/3 "2015-08-20T08:53:54Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Do you have cite for #3? If you read my 2nd cite, you wouldn’t be asking me this. Seriously, you want to be taken seriously here, you gotta put in more effort. If not, ibid ibid ibid. ---
**Author:** ![pete66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8c91f0/32.png) [@pete66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pete66)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/4 "2015-08-20T10:57:32Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > If you read my 2nd cite, you wouldn’t be asking me this. Seriously, you want to be taken seriously here, you gotta put in more effort. > > If not, ibid ibid ibid. **Superhal** , is this the second link you meant to add? [German Breeder Furious Over Cancelled Trip: No More Monster Bunnies for North Korea - DER SPIEGEL](http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/german-breeder-furious-over-cancelled-trip-no-more-monster-bunnies-for-north-korea-a-475218.html) There is no indication that the North Koreans ate the rabbits. Unless you have found an even later article? ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/5 "2015-08-20T11:13:20Z")
No proof about the rabbits being eaten, but speculation. And a great headline. [Kim Jong-Il Suspected of Eating Giant Rabbits Sent to Feed Starving North Koreans](http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/04/05/kim-jong-il-suspected-eating-giant-rabbits-sent-to-feed-starving-north-koreans.html) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/6 "2015-08-20T11:30:36Z")
**Superhal** Knock it off. This is not the forum to be insulting and to tell other people what _they_ need to do to be taken seriously. > [@Superhal](#): > > If you read my 2nd cite, you wouldn’t be asking me this. Seriously, you want to be taken seriously here, you gotta put in more effort. > > If not, ibid ibid ibid. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/7 "2015-08-20T11:48:26Z")
No wabbit, no pwoblem. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/8 "2015-08-20T15:03:27Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > No proof about the rabbits being eaten, but speculation. And a great headline. > > [Kim Jong-Il Suspected of Eating Giant Rabbits Sent to Feed Starving North Koreans](http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/04/05/kim-jong-il-suspected-eating-giant-rabbits-sent-to-feed-starving-north-koreans.html) First of all, obviously, one of the best username/post combos ever. Second, this article mentions my first thought: “It had been unclear, however, given their voracious appetite for carrots, potatoes and other top quality vegetables, how they could actually alleviate the food shortages in North Korea rather than actually adding to them.” The breeder said when he donated them that they cost a lot to feed. So, how is this helpful? Also, why does the breeder suspect the rabbits were eaten? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/9 "2015-08-20T16:08:30Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > First of all, obviously, one of the best username/post combos ever. > > Second, this article mentions my first thought: > “It had been unclear, however, given their voracious appetite for carrots, potatoes and other top quality vegetables, how they could actually alleviate the food shortages in North Korea rather than actually adding to them.” > > The breeder said when he donated them that they cost a lot to feed. So, how is this helpful? Also, why does the breeder suspect the rabbits were eaten? They haven’t been eaten. They’ve been put to work digging new incursion tunnels beneath the DMZ. It would seem illogical that a rabbit could dig a tunnel a human could use, but these ARE giant rabbits. And North Koreans (even soldiers) are probably pretty skinny by now. So it might just work. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/10 "2015-08-20T17:16:29Z")
20 rabbits, even ones the size of water buffaloes, are hardly enough for a giant feast for the elite of NK. The German’s problem was that his gift was too small, not that it was too big or otherwise inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/11 "2015-08-20T17:29:13Z")
Kim Announces new Korean Cavalry that can jump the DMZ!:D:p ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/12 "2015-08-20T18:29:03Z")
He shouldn’t have delivered them during rabbit season! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/13 "2015-08-20T18:29:52Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > He shouldn’t have delivered them during rabbit season! Duck Season! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/14 "2015-08-20T18:41:30Z")
This story is 8 years old. If it was true, NK would be overrun by giant rabbits by now. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/15 "2015-08-22T01:36:39Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > First of all, obviously, one of the best username/post combos ever. > > Second, this article mentions my first thought: > “It had been unclear, however, given their voracious appetite for carrots, potatoes and other top quality vegetables, how they could actually alleviate the food shortages in North Korea rather than actually adding to them.” > > The breeder said when he donated them that they cost a lot to feed. So, how is this helpful? Also, why does the breeder suspect the rabbits were eaten? It’s true. Simple physics means you can get more calories out of plants than out of animals who eat those plants…inevitably, energy is expended on things other than growth. It’s actually much less efficient. If your country is actually starving, the last thing you want to put any effort into is meat production. Seriously. Anyone who buys into the idea that meat production fights hunger just isn’t thinking it through. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/16 "2015-08-22T02:20:15Z")
So in fact the All Wise North Korean Glorious People’s Leader and his all-obedient Minions detected the vile but clever German plot to force starvation upon the Glorious People of NK via the diabolic means of giant rabbits meant to breed wildly and devour all the Glorious People’s food. Gloriously did the People’s representatives prevent the plot by instead devouring the ghastly Capitalist Rabbits of Intended Devouring. All Hail the Glorious Leadership. Burrp!! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/17 "2015-08-22T03:05:16Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > It’s true. Simple physics means you can get more calories out of plants than out of animals who eat those plants…inevitably, energy is expended on things other than growth. It’s actually much less efficient. If your country is actually starving, the last thing you want to put any effort into is meat production. > > Seriously. Anyone who buys into the idea that meat production fights hunger just isn’t thinking it through. Except rabbits can eat grass and we can’t. Animals can eat silage and we can’t. So, you’re wrong. In fact a noted agronomist sez that if we cut back meat production by 70% or so, it would balance perfectly. That does mean we eat too much meat, but not that meat is necessarily a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/18 "2015-08-22T03:20:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Except rabbits can eat grass and we can’t. Animals can eat silage and we can’t. > > So, you’re wrong. In fact a noted agronomist sez that if we cut back meat production by 70% or so, it would balance perfectly. That does mean we eat too much meat, but not that meat is necessarily a bad idea. Those rabbits eat high quality vegetables. There may be some areas we can’t farm economically that grow enough grass to feed some grazing animals, but we need undisturbed land as well. Maybe there is a corner case where it would be slightly effective, but it’s not nearly as important as mezt advocates imply. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giant-rabbit-story/728327/19 "2015-08-22T04:03:25Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Those rabbits eat high quality vegetables. There may be some areas we can’t farm economically that grow enough grass to feed some grazing animals, but we need undisturbed land as well. Maybe there is a corner case where it would be slightly effective, but it’s not nearly as important as mezt advocates imply. ``` Midden Europese Zomer Tijd ?:confused: ``` And in any case, obviously you have never lived on a farm. Slop and stuff goes to the pigs and chickens, sheep and cows graze on grass, and also the silage. They live on waste and what we cant eat. True, currently, in order to raise fat animals fast in small spaces, we feed them grain. But we feed cows & pigs dent or feed corn, which has a yield \*TEN Times \*per acre what human sweet corn does.