The local celebrity bunny rabbit residents of a roundabout island in Aberdeen could be about to global after wildlife filmmaker Libby Penman gave them a starring role in BBC Scotland nature show Landward.
The roundabout, one of Aberdeen’s busiest, has been completely taken over by the colony of rabbits, with one local telling Penman in the slot that they have been there “as long as I can remember.”
Wildlife expert Penman surmises that the roundabout’s busyness could have been part of the appeal of the leporine living space for the first settlers of ‘rabbit island,’ providing safety from predators who don’t want to cross the busy roads, along with a plentiful supply of grass, bushes and burrowing space below.
If the grass starts to run out, the rabbits don’t need to worry – apparently locals frequently launch food parcels of lettuce and carrots from the windows of passing cars so the rabbits don’t have to risk crossing the road.
Penman said: “It’s definitely not the most scenic location I’ve ever filmed wildlife at. It’s not exactly Watership Down. It’s so loud. I can certainly say I never thought filming wildlife would be so dependent on rush hour.”
The rabbits have set up home on the roundabout at the end of the A92, the main route into the city from the south. It’s next door to a busy retail park, and the traffic rarely stops, but Penman noted: “It looks like the rabbits have everything they need without having to go into town.”
The local resident and part-time bunny watcher added: “I always believe they have tunnels under the road because I’ve never seen any squished rabbits.”
Landward (2024, E5) is available to stream across the UK on BBC iPlayer now.
