Simon the Rabbit did not hold any records at the time of his death on Tuesday. However, he was the son of Darius the Rabbit, who grew to more than four feet long and weighed more than 50 pounds. And Simon was set to exceed his father’s record. At only ten months, the animal was already three feet long.
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On Tuesday, Simon was put onboard a United Airlines flight at Heathrow bound for a celebrity owner in the United States. Annette Edwards, the breeder who shipped the massive creature, told The Sun that “Simon had a vet’s check-up three hours before the flight and was fit as a fiddle…I’ve sent rabbits all over the world and nothing like this has ever happened before.”
Edwards would not say who bought the rabbit, but told the British tabloid, “The client who bought Simon is very famous. He’s upset.”
I just received this @united statement confirming the death of Simon the giant rabbit on a flight from Heathrow — to, yes, O’Hare. #paxex pic.twitter.com/P7AVqUcVJT
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 26, 2017
United Airlines said in a statement, “We were saddened to hear this news. The safety and well-being of all the animals that travel with us is of the utmost importance to United Airlines and our PetSafe team.”
United is still dealing with backlash after a doctor was dragged off a flight at O’Hare — the same airport where Simon arrived. United’s stock took a hard hit after a video of the dragging incident went viral and the death of an esteemed rabbit can’t be a good turn for the company.