2021 entered with sadness here on the farm as we discovered on New Year’s Day that our sweet French angora bunny, Bramble, had died during the night. He was only three years old so the reason for his death is a mystery to us. He had no sign of injury and in the days and weeks before. He did not appear sick and had been acting normally, as well as eating and drinking as usual. Just before Christmas I groomed him thoroughly and he was in great condition and didn’t even have a single mat in his fluffy angora wool. It is very frustrating to not have a reason for his death but we are comforted in knowing that he had the best 3 1/2 years that a bunny can have.

We got his as a baby from a 4H rabbit raiser. We chose Bramble because we were told that of all the bunnies in the litter, he was the one who hopped right to the open door of their cage, wanting to be picked up every time the door opened. He stayed that friendly for his whole life, making him the perfect bunny ambassador.

He loved having so many visitors to love on him and feed him snacks. As I was going though photos of the last several years, I realized that 80% of my photos of Bramble are of him eating delicious piles of weeds and flowers fed to him by kids at our camps and homeschool programs. He sure loved to eat! He made friends with everyone - from our free range chickens to hundreds of strangers that he met as our “outreach bunny” at events. He enjoyed hopping around in the sunshine and flopping down in the house for a nap.

Rabbits have always been part of our lives and Bramble really was a one-in-a-million bunny. He was a gentle giant, with a friendly, curious personality. We are so thankful for all the kids who grew to love him alongside us and we know there are many who share our sadness. He is already so missed but we are glad to share memories of him with so many of you!

Here’s a short video with more photos of Bramble, including adorable baby photos!