A miserable existence
The rabbits could remain at Wickham for many months to be used time and time again in tests.
Although naturally inquisitive, social and active, these poor animals were kept on their own in small, essentially barren metal or plastic cages.
This caging was totally inappropriate for the behavioural and physical needs of rabbits. There were no opportunities for natural behavior such as digging and burrowing.
Bored and frustrated, some rabbits displayed abnormal behaviour, including repetitive bar biting and pacing inside the small confines of their cages.
