More actions
A rabbit, colloquially a bunny, was a small Earth mammal.
- You may be looking for the slang term favoured by Tegan.
Rabbits on Earth
On Earth, rabbits were so prized for their meat that they could inspire poaching. This certainly happened in England around the time of the Great Fire of London. (TV: The Visitation) Centuries later, Ernie Clements, the poacher who worked the grounds of Marcus Scarman's house, caught a rabbit shortly before spotting a robot mummy removing itself from one of his traps. (TV: Pyramids of Mars)
Rabbits were also kept as pets. The Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka once met a boy named Rithros who had lost his pet rabbit. The Doctor used his celery stick to lure the animal back to his master. (PROSE: Goths and Robbers) As a child Yasmin Khan begged her parents for a pet rabbit but was given a stuffed rabbit instead as her father Hakim was allergic to animal fur. (PROSE: The Secret in Vault 13) Charlotte Pollard also had a pet rabbit named Mopsy. (AUDIO: Zagreus)
Susan Foreman cooked rabbit while heading to the Dalek mine in Bedfordshire. Carl Tyler ate some. (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth)
Magicians used to pull rabbits out of hats. (TV: The Sontaran Stratagem, COMIC: The Hat Trick) In 1923 the magician Miraclo attempted this feat, believing it would make him famous. He was unaware that he had been manipulated by the rabbit- like Lepus Warriors who had turned the hat into a warp gate, that would allow them to cross into his dimension in a attempted invasion. (COMIC: The Hat Trick)
Boa constrictors preyed on rabbits and ate them whole. (TV: The Time Monster)
In medieval times the term "cony" was also used. In 1400, after the bird failed to catch anything while hawking, Sir Robert de Wensley told his hawk there would be "no cony for your supper". (AUDIO: The Doctor's Tale)
In 1562, the Tenth Doctor came across a rabbit in England and, believing it to be a Zygon in disguise, gave it an intimidating speech, only to realise that it was just an ordinary rabbit, amending it to a "general warning". (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
Constance Clarke's great-uncle Jasper spent much of his time at his expensive manor house in the country taking potshots at rabbits. (AUDIO: Shield of the Jötunn)
As slang
The Fourth Doctor once asked K9 if he wanted to chase some rabbits. Adric had to explain to him that this meant they were going somewhere. (PROSE: Inter-Galactic Cat)
"Rabbits!" was a favourite interjection of Tegan Jovanka, usually used when she was frustrated or disappointed. (TV: Logopolis, PROSE: Graham Dilley Saves the World) The Eleventh Doctor once used the word in a similar way. (COMIC: Hunters of the Burning Stone)
Extra-terrestrial rabbits
The Eighth Doctor and C'rizz once encountered some rather large rabbits on Caerdroia. At the time, the Doctor told C'rizz that there were rabbits on Gallifrey, as well, but they were "rounder and cuddlier" than Earth rabbits. (AUDIO: Caerdroia) Toy rabbits were held by Time Lord children during the Fall of Arcadia. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
According to the Third Doctor, a giant rabbit was a delegate at the Third Intergalactic Peace Conference. (TV: Frontier in Space)
On Dagomere, giant rabbits were known to dig large tunnels. (PROSE: The Tree of Life)
A young Gallifreyan child was holding a stuffed rabbit toy during the Fall of Arcadia. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
The Eleventh Doctor recalls a saying, "Let the Time Lord see the rabbit." (COMIC: The Eternal Dogfight)
Other references
The Twelfth Doctor once compared Santa Claus to the "Easter Bunny". (TV: Last Christmas)