Just two months after arriving in Ireland, which was two months ago – my bunny, Helsinki, tragically passed away. I was sitting at my dining table in my kitchen, absolutely numb. I had no time to grieve because my instincts kicked in and all my energy was powdered into moving Prada from South Africa to Ireland.
What many don’t know is that rabbits can grieve and become depressed after the passing of a loved one. My sister and her partner immediately opened their homes to give Prada the minute-by-minute care she needed that I could not provide.
I began contacting travel agencies in South Africa and my agent, Danielle, happened to send me a DM via Facebook offering her help and services. She also has a bunny that ironically looks just like Prada but is double the size. Who better to trust than another bunny mum?
Skip the 200+ emails later, admin, vet checks, microchip, live import permits, pet hotel bookings, etc. and Prada was on her first flight out of Cape Town on the 24th of May. Danielle dealt with all my ridiculous questions easily and was very quick and efficient. I was sick to my stomach from the 24th to the 26th, worried if Prada was alright and going to manage the flight well. Rabbits are incredibly sensitive creatures and anything can happen if fed incorrect diets or put into stressful situations. My agent, Danielle, managed everything with absolute ease and confidence, always updating me with photos and messages which took a load of stress off me.
On the 27th, I left Ballina around 7 am and drove into Dublin at 10:47 am. This was the craziest experience, as I was driving towards the airport Prada’s flight was approaching the landing at the same time, almost in tandem with me. It was like we were about to collide. The moment I saw Prada in her cage I requested to unlock the cage so that I could sit with her in the car and check that she was alright, feed her some water and a treat to see she was in good health. She sat in my lap and immediately started showering me with kisses as I tried my best to syringe feed her water and a grape. She ate the grape and I knew she was alright. After a long four-day journey, she was 100% fine – the most resilient bunny that only weighs 944 grams.
She’s taken about three days to settle into our new home. It’s just her and I, morning and night petting and kisses, she’s returning to self. Here’s to our new home, just her and I doing our own thing on the West Coast of Ireland. A South African Afrikaans bunny and me. I have no idea where we are going next but we’ll enjoy these moments for now.
