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Rabbit pictured doing battle with baby leopards and tigers in Chinese zoo

... but there was sadly only ever going to be one winner

Adam Withnall
Thursday 12 September 2013 11:15 EDT
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In these extraordinary images from China, a white rabbit can be seen holding its own in a cage fight with leopards and tigers.

While it might seem like an unfair contest, zoologists at a wildlife park in Qingdao, Shandong province said the rabbit was playing a valuable role in a scientific experiment.

They argued that testing the natural instincts of captive, two-month-old tigers justified pairing them in a small cage with their natural prey.

If we give them the benefit of the doubt, it can be observed that for a time the tigers simply played around with the rabbit, which approached them somewhat inquisitively.

Sadly, the little animal didn’t fare as well when later pitted against a a slightly older leopard cub. Though it was able to land a strong kick in its efforts to escape, the rabbit eventually, and perhaps predictably, lost the battle.

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