These Rescued Lab Rabbits Touched Grass for the First Time—and Built a Home Underground

The number is not exactly known, but it is estimated that thousands of rabbits live and die inside laboratories. They were being studied and experimented on for the sake of science and to find cures for diseases.

It is one of the harsh realities that we have to deal with, but sometimes, there are moments when we can help them. This is exactly what a sanctuary that saves animals did back in 2019.

They Were Days Away From Slaughter

With less than 48 hours away from being slaughtered, Mino Valley Farm Sanctuary and Leon Vegano Animal Sanctuary coordinated a last-minute rescue that brought laboratory rabbits into their care.

Those rabbits have only ever known the inside of a laboratory, as most experimental animals do. They are often used for drug development and antibody research.

But this time, the medical experiments in a Spanish university concluded, and these rabbits were full of tumors, puncture wounds, and missing fur. They were set to be slaughtered, that is when the two animal rights groups came into action.

Source: One Green Planet

Freedom, Sunlight, and Grass for the First Time

Rabbits Rescued from Laboratory Experiments Take First Steps of Freedom

When these rabbits first came into the Mino Valley sanctuary, all of them had never touched real grass before or had been exposed to the sun. In a way, their entire lives, they have only known darkness, cages, and a lot of suffering due to experimentation.

As anyone would have guessed, the first time they got out, they were hesitant, not knowing where they were or what was happening. But shortly after, they began to explore the valley, scratch the trees, sniff the air, and run around the grass field.

They spent their whole day doing all these explorations, investigating every sight, scent, and sound with curiosity, and they deserve it. Soon, they will have adjusted to life at the sanctuary and will begin doing normal rabbit things.

Source: YouTube

They Built a Burrow of Their Own

As they adjusted to life at the sanctuary, they were now moved to a larger enclosure together with other animals such as hens, sheep, and calves. After a while, the rabbits instinctively started digging their own burrows that began inside a sheep barn and extended deep underground.

They spend their days playing during the day and return home to their burrows at night. So far away from the life they once knew, a life that would have ended right there and then.

Source: One Green Planet

Mino Valley’s Ongoing Mission to Save Farmed Animals

Mino Valley’s Sanctuary Farm is one of the best animal rescue groups that takes care of countless animals and has saved them from being slaughtered. In 2019, they reportedly saved 16 rabbits from a meat farm after a fire broke out in one of its barns.

Today, Mino Valley still provides permanent homes for rescued farmed animals who were born to live and die for the sake of science. Now, not only rabbits, but they also take care of cats, lambs, donkeys, and more.

Source: Facebook

Why Cruelty-Free Choices Matter

In our world today, there are countless animals that live and die inside a science laboratory. Those who were born to be tested on and used for experiments for different cases.

As a human, you probably understand that there are some things that our species has had to do to prevent the spread of diseases, to come up with new drugs that cure them, and to better understand our own biology.

But, as our technology evolves, we hope that we can permanently put an end to the suffering that these animals are experiencing. Or at least, find a way to give them a normal life too.

Source: One Green Planet

How to Rescue baby bunnies and keep them alive!

Author's Final Thoughts

There are millions around the world that are suffering just like these rabbits, but this story today highlights that we are not powerless, nor is it unavoidable.

When enough people intervene and try their best, they can make anything possible. Now, these rabbits dig burrows underground, nap in the grass under the sun, run around as much as they want, and live the life they were meant to have.

Disclaimer: All images used in this article are artistic depictions meant to help readers visualize events. They are not real photos of the individuals or animals involved.