But according to Tommy Tuvunger at the Stockholm Traffic Office, containing the city’s rabbit population is a necessary evil. He was keen to emphasize to The Local that the Traffic Office was not out to slaughter innocent rabbits.
“The rabbits are not being randomly slaughtered, it is more of a cull. The rabbits cause so much damage as they eat everything – plants, greenery, trees and any wood”, he said.
Most of the city’s rabbits were to be found around Norrmalm, Vasaparken, Stadshagen and Sankt Görans Hospital. According to Tuvunger, there are still a number of rabbits in the Kungsholmen area.
Tommy Tuvunger believes that around 4,000 rabbits have been culled this spring and summer. But this does not mean that the rabbits are gone for the winter, despite the cold.
“It is in winter they do the most damage. Then they eat tree bark, wood, anything. This is when they cause the most costly damage.”
The rabbits are shot by two specially hired people who usually go out at dawn and use guns with silencers. The bodies are then frozen and incinerated. The rabbits are not stripped of their fur.
Rabbits are not native to Sweden and the problem has stemmed from just a few domestic pets being released and rabbits doing what rabbits do best.
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