People at all times have been interested in the "very-most." And it is not at all necessary that the champions relate specifically to the human race: representatives of flora and fauna are no less curious. Even famous children's ridiculous jokes say this: “Who is stronger: an elephant or a whale?”, “Who will win: a bear or a shark?” And in the famous Guinness book there are sections: “The Highest Mammal”, “The Smallest Bird”, “The Oldest Tree” ...
Rabbits and their sizes
Agriculture, too, did not escape the competition for the cultivation of "the very-most." In particular, rabbit breeders have long sought to increase the profitability of their occupation - to breed larger individuals. In general, with regard to parameters, rabbits are often compared with cats - they are not very different in size from pets. It is known that the average rabbit and weighs about the same as a cat.
In the 19th century, the imagination of onlookers at fairs was struck by bred animals weighing 5-6 kilograms. In those days, it was believed that even the world's largest rabbit could not weigh more. Now, the Soviet Chinchilla, Burgundy, and Californian breeds stably supply individuals with about 6 kg in weight, and this is considered the norm. Giant rabbits of the French ram breed weigh 10 kg, the flanders - 11, and the Flemish giant, bred from the flanders, reaches 15 kg, and exceeds the size of many dog breeds!
Dynasty of giants
In Britain there is an unremarkable family named Edwards, which became world famous only because they have the largest rabbit in the world at the moment. The record holder is called Darius (or Darius), and he originates from the same unique animals. The beginning was laid by his grandmother named Emmy, supported by a dad named Ellis, but his son already overtook both. Currently, the growth (length) of the giant is as much as 132 cm, and the weight has risen to the mark of 22.6 kg. Given the fact that the animal is still quite young and continues to grow, albeit at a much slower rate, there is a high probability that these parameters will increase further.
Record holder's ration, or What does the contents cost the owners
It is worth recognizing that the world's largest rabbit is an animal that is financially overhead, because it is too voracious. A day it takes 12 medium-sized carrots, a couple of cabbage heads and six apples. And these are only the obligatory dishes on his menu! Other delicacies (greens and vegetables) are also attached to them, even if they are not eaten in such quantities. The owners admit that Darius takes 50 pounds a week to satisfy the food needs, which is by no means a penny.
Rival rabbits
As in any competition, Darius is not the only contender for the title (even if it sounds like “The world's largest rabbit”). His predecessor was also a Briton with the nickname Ralph, who had in his mothers the same record holder Amy, who is Darius's grandmother. By the way, until 2010, it was Ralph who was inscribed in the treasured book as a winning giant. Now, according to the hostess, he had already overtaken his competitor, and she applied for a “review of the case”. At the same time, the owner of the rabbit (Polina Grant) admits that the veterinarians advised her to restrict her pet in food, but she does not want to deprive him of her favorite "sweets", which is why she did not follow the advice. At the same time, Grant assures that Ralph is not obese, has good physical shape and is quite mobile.
The third contender is also going to argue with both of them - a rabbit named Banny. Its length at the time of measurement reached 122 cm, but the owners (a married couple named Heather) did them for a long time, and the rabbit was only 2 years old, so, they believe, the animal has outgrown these indicators a long time ago.
It seems interesting that all the biggest rabbits in the world are English. Or in Britain they feed better, or the air is cleaner, or the vegetables are thicker ...