A baby rabbit was snatched from its hutch and hidden inside a coat before being stolen from a Manchester pet shop – and then returned after a Facebook appeal.
The six-week-old lop-eared bunny was taken from Urmston Aquatics and Reptile Centre, in Stretford, where it was in a hutch with its mother and siblings.
Steve Croft, who runs the long-standing family business with wife Claire, told the Manchester Evening News that the man walked into the shop at around 12.10pm.
“He waited for a few minutes for a member of staff to be out of the way, then he lifted the top of one of the hutches and grabbed the rabbit,” Steve told the newspaper. He then went out of sight from the camera, but we believe he put the animal in his coat and then walked out of the shop. It took him 30 seconds to grab the rabbit and walk out.”
Urmston Aquatics and Reptile Centre posted a CCTV image on its Facebook page on Friday, urging whoever had the rabbit to bring it back as itw as too young to be separated from its mother.
The post pointed out that Steve and Claire were ‘extremely concerned’ for the welfare of the rabbit and would just like it ‘back safe’.
And within hours of the post going online, the animal was returned to the shop anonymously!
