Dead baby rabbits in the garden

Hi.  I was hoping that a perhaps someone would know why I have found 2 dead baby rabbits in our garden in as many days.  The little baby that I found yesterday did not look as if it had any external harm to it. It was just dead in the flowerbed.  The other baby that my puppy found today was close by in another flower bed.  I also noticed that no predators came near the rabbit yesterday and there were kites circling in the morning.....my husband only came home and removed them in the afternoon and nothing tried to eat it. We live in Headley, Berkshire with fields next door with cows in them. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with these mysterious and saddening deaths....

  • I'm not sure I can help but I can't say I'm surprised that they don't look harmed. Even if it wasn't illness or starvation, many predators can kill prey with barely a mark, unless you know what to look for, eg holding the windpipe closed, biting the back of the neck etc. Given an easy opportunity, several animals will also kill more than they can eat, although foxes for example usually intend to stash the extra food for later, but they can be disturbed in the process and well-fed domestic cats can just lose interest after a kill. It is saddening when it happens but perhaps not that unusual, although why your garden was chosen may remain a mystery.