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Paris’ rabbits win reprieve after ‘nuisance’ order reversed
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Furry friend: A caged rabbit is on display on Feb. 27, 2017 at the Agriculture Fair in Paris. (AFP/Jacques Demarthon)
T
he rabbits of Paris can breathe a furry sigh of relief and continue feasting merrily on the French capital's vegetation after the city reversed an order classifying them as a nuisance.
The order was adopted in 2021 to stop what authorities said was damage the animals were causing, notably to the large lawns of the city’s Invalides monument complex.
The move would have given the city the authority to eliminate the local rabbit population, but outraged animal rights groups swiftly obtained a court order to suspend it.
Without waiting for a final legal ruling, however, Paris police chief Didier Lallement had now reversed the “nuisance” order, the Paris Animaux Zoopolis (PAZ) group told AFP.
The new order was issued on Feb. 2 and was seen by AFP after the Le Parisien daily first reported it.
Amandine Sanvisens, the head of PAZ, told AFP that the city police had provided no proof that the animals were causing any damage.
"We are pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals that live in the city, and we want to promote nonlethal methods," she said.
Some 250 wild rabbits live in inner city Paris, according to local authorities, their numbers increasing along with those of foxes, swans and other fauna.
