TJ Macias
The Charlotte Observer
HUTTO, Texas — Police have issued a public service announcement regarding a series of “rampant crime sprees” where the culprits have been targeting Christmas decorations and lights. While the people of Hutto may be quick to blame neighborhood kids for the damage, they shouldn’t hop to conclusions.
The real guilty party?
Bunnies.
“We all know that Hutto is widely known for our hippos, concrete and otherwise,” the police posted on their Facebook page. “That said, our most visible and ever present real suburban animal is the native cottontail. Generally these timid and docile neighbors are, at worst a garden pest, but usually just a cool backyard inhabitant. However every year around the holidays these cute and fuzzy bunnies go on rampant crime sprees!”
Any rabbit owner will tell you, the adorable twitchy noses are just a mere distraction so your friendly neighborhood Peter Rabbit can violently chew through cords — from phone chargers to bedside lamps to computers.
And there’s a reason for this.
“It’s essential for (rabbits) to help keep their continuously growing incisors and molars short,” the SPCA says about why rabbits obsessively chew. “Cords for our electronics look a lot like branches or tree roots, and a curious bunny will naturally want to explore this and see if it’s food (and) the best way they know how — (is) by chewing them.”
The police go on and say residents shouldn’t point fingers at local youth, and if they discover that their Christmas lights wires look like a chainsaw has gone to town on them, it’s not because of young pranksters — it’s because a long-eared cuddly ball of fur was a jerk.
“They commit seemingly random acts of vandalism while besmirching the reputation of our local youth. If you have light strand decorations at or near ground level the destructive and vindictive hare will 100% bite clean through the strand, usually at the least convenient spot,” the police continue.
“They seem to take great offense at having to negotiate the seasonal obstacles in their usual haunts. All of that to say if your light strands look like they have been cut clean through, the primary suspect is and generally will look a lot more like Bugs Bunny than your neighborhood kids.”
Hutto is about 25 miles northeast of Austin.
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