Being largely banished to fashion history in the 1980’s following continual pressure by animal activists; fur has recently made an unprecedented reappearance. This is no more obvious than in Australia, where designers have started to feature large numbers of fur designs in their annual winter collections.
Rabbit fur (which is also sold under the labels cony, coney, comb or lapin) is the fastest growing part of the international fur trade and the most commonly used material in the making of both fur coats and hats. It takes 30-40 rabbits to make just one fur coat.
Each year over 50 million animals are slaughtered worldwide for their fur. This figure fails to even include the number of rabbits killed, as no accurate records are maintained. There are two main breeds in the commercial rabbit farming industry: Rex and New Zealand White. Both breeds are factory farmed across Europe and Asia, kept in battery style systems of tiered wire cages, where animals are barely able to move and are denied all forms of natural behaviour.
These housing systems are designed to maximise profits, always at the expense of the rabbits, with most going insane from the extreme confinement. Killing methods are gruesome on fur farms, with no laws to protect the animals.
In order to preserve the quality of fur animals are bludgeoned to death or have their throats slit. However, the most common form of slaughter is to skin the rabbits while still alive and fully conscious.
Article by Rabbit Fur – Freedom For Farmed Rabbits