Twenty rabbits have been shot and killed, just weeks after being rescued from almost certain death at the University of Victoria.
A spokeswoman for the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs, B.C., north of Victoria, says the bunnies were killed after escaping from the refuge grounds on Tuesday.
Wendy Huntbatch says the rabbits were shot by neighbouring farmers in the rural Vancouver Island community as they ate grass and hay in nearby fields.
She says she's devastated by the incident and wonders why angry farmers only gave refuge staff two hours to catch the rabbits before the shooting began.
Police were called but say charges won't be laid because the rabbits are considered wild.
The refuge accepted the bunnies after the University of Victoria announced plans to cull hundreds of the feral creatures who caused thousands of dollars in damage to playing fields and gardens.