Mysterious disappearance of pet rabbit - who done it?

[mears]

We have had 2 rabbits (Tango and Humbug) for 4 years (got them from soeone else when they were 2 yrs.). Dh built an enclosure for them so that they had the freedom to go in and out of the hutch at will. They also love to run about in the garden. We have a long garden surrounded by brick walls - about 41/2 feet high. The garden faces onto the school grounds - lots of grass.
At night we usher them back into the enclosure so they are locked in. Tango can be a bu**er to catch and last week we couldn't get her but found the 2 of them in the hutch in the morning.
Anyway - I went out last night to put them in and couldn't find Tango - I reckoned she was hiding in the bushes so just left them.
Today there was absolutely no sign of her at all. Humbug was in the hutch. We all hunted the garden for her but to no avail. I think it is unlikely she was stolen as she can be difficult to catch.
Could a fox jump into the garden over that height of wall? Are they common in the town? There is no sign of a struggle?
What about a dog or a cat? What do you think is the most likely? Anyone know what animals like to eat rabbits?

I know this is a ridiculous thread really, but I hate the thought of some animal prowling in our garden. Children are pretty upset. A wanted poster has been drawn. Don't really want to say to them she probably is 'no more'.

I must admit I am pretty sad myself....

Still no Tango. Strangely this morning it appears that somebody has been in our garden up to mischief. The platic composter thing at the bottom of the garden was missing, leaving a pile of compost. The lid was lying in the middle of the lawn. When I looked over the back wall the composter was lying there on it's side, in the school grounds. The shcool litter bins had been pulled over as well. I am now wondering if Tango has indeed been pinched. I hate the thought of people on your property uninvited. We will need to put fencing up. Have lived there 10 years and never had a problem before.

A near disaster with my bunny rabbits yesterday.

We have 2 rabbits, who live in a hutch outside our back door, but who on most days have the run of the garden. Our garden seems to be built mostly on a layer of concrete - so the only possible exit is under the (not so snuggly fitting) fence at the bottom of the garden. So to prevent this being an escape point we put a big barricade up, blocking that end of the garden. And so, for months, it has been fine. Bunnies can hop around the garden during the day, with no exit, and spend their nights in the hutch.

Except yesterday. My husband mowed the lawn on Monday (first time for everything) and moved the barricade to get to the bottom of the garden. He replaced it, but obviously didn't wedge it as firmly as it had been previously. Yesterday morning my ds went to feed the rabbits (it is his job) and came back saying "Mummy, Why aren't the bunnies in their hutch?". Frantic searching followed. It was noticed that the barricade at the end of the garden had leaned over somewhat, and that the far side of it had been eaten. The rabbits had obviously hopped over the leaning barricade, and because of the overhang had been unable to hop back. They had then had a good try at eating their way back through, but had not succeeded. Why they were even out of the hutch I have NO idea. I think that dh let them out the previous afternoon - and obviously no-one had put them back in again!

Much searching of the neighbourhood followed. I spent HOURS knocking on doorsd getting people to check their gardens. Returned home tired and weary - to find that now I had removed the barricade the rabbits had found their own way home and were hopping around on the lawn. Vast relief.

Bit of a lengthy story, I know - but i felt I had to share it with someone!

Oakmaiden - you were lucky to get them back. A neighbour knocked on our door at the weekend with a bunny in a box - they knew we had rabbits and thought it was ours. It spent the afternoon in our rabbit run in the garden while we tried to find out who it belonged to. Found a very stressed out lady later in the day frantically searching for it.

Just another rabbit question - how old are your rabbits? The reason is that various books, leaflets, web sites etc. seem to have different lifespans for rabbits or whether different types of rabbits maybe have different lifespans (as dogs). We have had Alfie our oldest one for four years, he was about a year when we got him - so he is at least 5, he is recently showing signs of slowing down and I am worried that his time may be limited - he is a French Lop.

I rearlise this is an old thread but I felt I had to write to let you know how we solved the "disapearing bunny". Like Mears we let our bunnies run around the garden but found that if we didn't put them back by dusk they disapeared, only to turn up in the morning...(They cannot escape as we are enclosed by a wall, high fence and have too burried wire all around the perimiter). V puzzled and Dh spent many an hour in the garden muttering to himself "dam rabbit, stew etc". He opened the bonnet of his car one evening while on an evening rabit hunt to find both rabbits sitting in the engine!! - most worrying was the fact that to aid in his search he use to turn the engine on and put the headlights on full beam!!
On a serious note though - I hope the children aren't too upset

Jaybee, our BunnyBoy died just before he was nine, last year. He was the oldest 'small pet' in our vet's practice and the oldest rabbit the vet had ever come across.

Ours died when he was about 6.

Ha! Ha! Juno! your account made me smile mucho!!