GARDAÍ in Skibbereen are carrying out enquiries after a beloved family pet, a Flemish Giant rabbit called ‘Silver’, was suspected to have been bludgeoned to death.

The death of the family pet caused untold upset for the Prime family of The Fernery in Skibbereen, who only weeks before had experienced the tragic and sudden loss of Emma, the artist wife of Michael and mother of 15-year-old twins Isabelle and Lucien, who had become ill and died unexpectedly.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochána confirmed that they received a report at 2.30pm on Wednesday October 8th of a  deceased animal in Skibbereen, and confirmed that enquiries are ongoing.

Michael showed The Southern Star where he found ‘Silver’ within their enclosed grounds, and pointed out how he appeared to have sustained a single blow to the top of its head.

‘I can’t think why anyone would do this. We feel like a member of our family has been murdered,’ he said.

‘It has been a hammer blow coming so soon after Emma. Silver was loved to bits. He was so loving, kind and faithful,’ said Michael.

‘He loved sitting on our doorstep waiting to greet anyone that came to the door and, instead of greeting him, someone did this,’ he concluded.

In addition to this incident, volunteer members of animal rescue groups in West Cork reported seeing a seal cub with a bloodied head on Ballyhack Bay Beach, near Toe Head, earlier in October.

The volunteers reported the matter to Seal Rescue Ireland because initially there were three seals on the beach waiting for their mother to return to be fed. Later, it emerged just one seal had been left behind and the blood splatters on its head raised some questions. A volunteer said it didn’t look as if the seal pup had been worried by dogs, but she did say it appeared to have puncture marks to
its head.

‘We don’t know if it hit rocks during bad weather. We can’t jump to conclusions,’ she said, ‘But if this was an attack it would be appalling because these are very vulnerable while they are on the beach, waiting for their mother to return,’ said
the volunteer.

Another dead animal, this time a headless adult grey seal, was found on Sandycove beach in recent weeks.

The person who discovered that seal told The Southern Star: ‘The head was severed from the body,’ but he couldn’t see it anywhere on the beach.

He said the dead body of the seal was lying in the sand in the upper part of the beach and he described it as ‘looking very grim.’