Giant rabbits

last updated 8 January 2015

Eberswalde, Germany

A German breeder has begun supplying oversize rabbits to North Korea, which hopes to use them as food to alleviate chronic shortages. Karl Smolinsky attracted Pyongyang’s attention last year, after his prize 22-pound buck, Robert, was crowned the biggest rabbit in Germany. Last month, the North Koreans bought four males (including Robert) and eight females to begin its own breeding program. A single one of Smolinsky’s animals can yield 15 pounds of meat, a delicacy rare in North Korea. It’s doubtful, though, that the rabbits will grow as large over there. Smolinsky feeds each of his rabbits 2 pounds of high-quality food per day. That’s twice as much as the daily ration for humans in North Korea.