Bryan Cocksedge

Apologies for broken link. I hope this one works.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hoax-slayer.com/images/giant-rabbit2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hoax-slayer.com/giant-rabbit.shtml&h=306&w=400&sz=14&hl=en&start=2&usg=__2g9wmVTdIcJ43S9vQhS_7k1ZB64=&tbnid=pbgUILFNAWMAtM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgiant%2Brabbit%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG I wouldn't mock as rabbits has the potential to reach enormous sizes as witnessed in this picture. I hope Ted Max has been able to store the rabbit carcass in a refridgeration unit as we could then determine if it is indeed the culprit of these ghastly encounters.

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Dulwich and Peckham were favourite haunts for Spring Heeled Jack in the mid nineteenth century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Heeled_Jack I have always been of the view that it was not a sceptre that lurked round these parts in early Victorian Times but a giant wild rabbit. Lots of people reported that Spring Heeled Jack had the ability to hop great distances and others mentioned his big floppy ears (which the penny dreadfuls at the time sensationlised into devil's horns). Could it be possible that a remnant giant rabbit population survives in Sydenham Hill / Dulwich woods and we are witnessing the return of the Spring Heeled Jack / giant rabbit phenomena? The sceptic in me inclines to the view that somewhere in East Dulwich there is an empty hutch but my romantic side thinks that just maybe deep in Dulwich wood there lies hidden an oversized rabbit hole from which a legend has arisen once more.

I have found some droppings which I'm going to take to the Natural History Museum for analysis (would the Horniman have the expertise?) but my assumption is an owner has got fed up with it and just left it on the streets to let it fend for itself. I would be very surprised if a wild rabbit population could survive in East Dulwich although I do know for a fact that there are hedgehogs in Sydenham Hill woods. It may be a laughing matter for some but I heard the old lady who was chased was quite startled.

I understand it is VERY big, nearly 3 feet long and weighs around 10kgs. There was a similar rabbit on the loose in Felton near Newcastle a couple of years ago. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0411_060411_rabbit.html

I don't know if any of you have seen it but a giant rabbit is on the loose in the Friern Road area. It's a mottled brown colour and I have been told it chased an old lady at the Underhill Road junction. It looks like it is very well fed so it's a possibility it's been digging up and eating plants in residents front gardens.