'Easter bunny' survives premature burial

Panda, a two-year-old Netherland dwarf rabbit, went missing on Good Friday.

However, it appears Panda may have been accidentally buried in a Ruakaka family's back lawn -- leaving one hot cross bunny tunnelling frantically for more than two weeks as he dug his way to freedom.

"(Easter Friday) was a very sad morning. We got up and there were just dog prints everywhere and they'd dug up all the lawn," owner Denise Webster said.

"I just presumed the dogs took him."

The next afternoon, believing the worst, Mrs Webster's husband Ken filled in all the holes in the lawn, sowing grass seed on the dirt.

However, more than two weeks later the Websters were shocked when their eight-year-old grandson Dylan found the bunny sitting on the lawn beside a deep burrow.

"It's quite a miracle he's alive really," Mrs Webster said.

The irony of when the bunny met his supposed fate has not been lost on Mrs Webster, who said Panda could well be the "Easter bunny".

His resurrection has been explained by a small hole in the lawn which appeared the day he returned.

Mrs Webster said Panda's love of digging holes in his run had resulted in a series of tunnels.

"He must have had a warren down there so he could breathe."

Panda has since settled back down to normal life.

"My husband's been giving him extra attention now because he feels bad for burying him," Mrs Webster said.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)