European rabbit

Latest addition to my museum animal series is this European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from Melbourne Museum specimen collection room.

Since I was a child I loved drawing rabbits, my first drawing was a rabbit and my first art project in primary school was of rabbits. I made my own cartoons and manga where a rabbit was a protagonist.
My love for drawing rabbits deepened after reading Watership Down by Richard Adams too.
It got me imagining what their daily lives might be like in the warrens. 

Original drawing, European rabbit

I didn't even know they are considered vermin in Australia before I relocated.
They cause millions of dollars of damage in crops.
It's partly because they are such prolific animals - only 24 rabbits were first introduced in 19th century in Australia and they had multiplied in number to over 600 million over the course of less than a century!! AMAZING

I often think about the world taken over by rabbits. Speaking Lapin language (created by Richard Adams), worshiping rabbit god, serving only vegetarian food in all restaurants... I'm pretty sure they would hate us here in Australia!

So I was surprised to read that rabbits are classified as Near Threatened by World Conservation Union.

European rabbit, head

 My passion for drawing rabbits has been going for a long time and I think it'll stay this way for many more years to come.