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ALEXANDRA LIONSRabbits raise funds and eyebrowsBy Lynda van Kempen/Otago Daily TimesThe odds were tipped slightly in the favour of the hunted and not the hunter this year, and the number ofrabbits killed at Alexandra Lions Club's annual Great Easter Bunny Hunt was the lowest in nine years."There was lots of cover around, so theodds were on the rabbits' side this time,and they were in hiding," hunt convenerDave Ramsay said.A total of 10,424 rabbits were killed by 36teams during the 24-hour event, whichbegan on Good Friday morning. The haulwas displayed in Pioneer Park, Alexandra,on Saturday.Teams of hunters from all over NewZealand took part, and the SouthernHopper Stoppers, an Otago-Southland-Canterbury team led by professionalrabbiter Ray Moffat, of Cromwell, won thehunt, bagging 1035 rabbits.This year's tally was less than half lastyear's total of 22,904 but the hunters andMr Ramsay said there were still plenty ofrabbits around, but more growth, so theanimals were harder to find and shoot.After being counted in Pioneer Park onSaturday afternoon, the rabbits werepicked up by the Alexandra Scouts, whocarry out the exercise as a fundraiser. Theanimals were then taken to a farm propertywell out of town, to be buried in a pit.As well as dispatching rabbits, the 432hunters in the event also disposed of 475hares, 42 possums and 34 stoats.The bunny hunt is organised by theAlexandra Lions Club and last year theclub donated $10,000, mostly raisedthrough the event, to an upgrade of the StJohn base in Alexandra.Bunny hunt 'seems a little crazy'says visiting DaneDanish journalist and hunter ThomasNissen has a new appreciation for thescale of the rabbit problem in CentralOtago, after shadowing the winning teamin the Great Easter Bunny Hunt.Mr Nissen heard about the unusual eventwhile hunting in New Zealand two yearsago. This Easter he covered the event fora Danish hunting magazine while followingthe fortunes of the team that won the hunt,the Southern Hopper Stoppers."I really liked it, but it seems a little crazyfor Europeans. We would not have thechance to do something like this. Thereare a lot of 'green' organisations thatwould make a problem out of somethinglike this," he said.Mr Nissen was amazed at the scale of therabbit problem."I have more understanding as to why thisevent happens. I can see the problem witherosion and the barren country and pilesof rabbit dirt ..."During the 21 years of the event, a total of253,735 rabbits have been killed.There was no similar event to the bunnyhunt anywhere in the world, Mr Nissensaid."For us, rabbits are not a problem andeven hares are not a problem. In fact, theendemic population of hares is declining,so measures are being looked at to boostthat population."Seeing the haul from the weekend's shootlaid out in a public park for counting wasanother surprise for him, as was learningthe rabbit carcasses were destined forcompost.Danish journalist Thomas Nissen was in Central Otago covering the Great Easter Bunny Huntfor a Danish hunting magazine. Seeing the haul from the event laid out in Pioneer Park was aneye-opener for him. Photo courtesy of Otago Daily Times/Otago Images"It seems strange you can't use them, butI understand why."LION, South Pacific Edition | May/June 2012 26