World's Largest Rabbit Is Larger Than You Think

When you hear the words "world's largest rabbit," how big do you imagine this kind of creature to be? When my editor sent me that very subject line along with a link earlier today, I naturally started immediately imagining just how large this critter could possibly be. I was thinking, "OK — maybe terrier sized. Maybe." Then I clicked and learned just how wrong I was. So very wrong. Darius, a Continental Giant rabbit living in England, is 4'4" and nearly 56 pounds. Let me put that another way: there is a rabbit out there literally the size of an average 8-year-old. I feel like I should be storming his castle with a torch and a pitchfork, but I'd probably just wind up lying on the floor excitedly cuddling him.

Continental Giants were originally bred for their meat (nooooooooo!), but are now also kept as house pets (yessssssss!) Darius' owner, Annette Edwards, describes her Giants as "very, very friendly" and "no different than keeping smaller rabbits; in fact...easier," but I feel like she has to say that around the enormous monster rabbits lest she suffer their wrath. And that's right: She said "rabbits," as in plural, as in she has more than one Godzilla-esque rabbit living with her. In fact, Darius' son, Jeffery, is only a year old (they live to be 8 or 9) and already 3'8". Since he still has six months of growing left to do, Edwards suspects that Jeffery will far surpass his dad's record. I'm scared and endeared, all at the same time.

If only someone had given Lenny one of these suckers in Of Mice and Men, amiright?!

Behold Darius and Jeffery in all their enormous, lopping, father/son glory.

Images: Fotolia