Did you ever think that the world’s biggest bunny would be over four feet long? Well, neither did I, until I saw Darius. Doesn’t this story about giant bunnies seem a little farfetched? Like something out of Narnia or Alice in Wonderland, or any other fantasy fiction tale?
Welcome to the land of the strange and furry. Darius is a member of the unique breed known as the Continental Giant rabbit, and the papa bunny as of now is a whopping 4 feet 4 inches. However, Darius has a son, Jeff, who seems to be growing rapidly as well. He’s currently just over 4 feet himself, and still has six months left of growing to do. It seems daddy bunny is going to be out-championed by his own son, Jeff.
And being the world’s biggest rabbit, and his son, they’ve got a giant appetite to match. These rabbits burn through £5,000 yearly munching on apples, carrots, and bales of hay to keep their grumbling and huge appetites satisfied. The pair both also eat a huge bowl full of specialized rabbit food every day, and a bale of hay a week.
Weighing in at 49 pounds, Darius holds the heavyweight title in The Guinness Book of World Records which their mom, Annette Edwards (67) thinks that will be taken by his son, Jeff. She says, “Darius was always big but Jeff is huge considering he’s still a baby. I’m expecting him to grow much bigger than his dad. As soon as I think he’s made it, he’ll be measured by his vet and then Guinness will certify that he is the biggest rabbit in the world.”
Can you imagine a rabbit being bigger than your dog? Even though they’re so big, they are very low upkeep. According to Annette, these rabbits are easier to maintain than dogs, are very dog-like, and cleaner than smaller rabbits. Owning a rabbit of this breed may be just the thing for you.
They really do look after themselves most of the time. Annette says, “They run free in the garden during the day and at night go to sleep in their cozy crates. They never make a mess and actually would be great house rabbits.”
Most rabbits like lots of attention and get on well with children and these two are no exception. They’re even friendly with other animals, Jeff’s best friend is a boxer dog called Kay. “Although the pair of them are huge, they’re the best animal friends and pet parent could ask for. “They are both very laid back and chilled out – Jeff really takes after his Dad,” says Annette.
The boys and their mom (who is officially the UK’s oldest glamour model) have been in the news frequently since being ‘discovered’ in 2015, but they feel it’s time to slow things down and enjoy life at home. “We’re still welcoming tourists to visit us both but we will not be doing any more long journeys or TV appearances. Darius has had an amazing career and loves people but now he’s getting older he likes to relax, and so do I.”
