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Runaway baby rabbits found on North Sea drilling rig

Two bunnies sitting on a beige towel inside a container.New Arc

The rabbits are being cared for an Aberdeenshire animal charity

Three stowaway baby rabbits have been rescued after being discovered hopping about on a drilling rig in the North Sea.

A drilling rig is used to bore holes into the Earth to obtain oil, natural gas, and water, or for environmental testing.

It is thought the unexpected visitors hopped onto a container in Dundee, Scotland before hitting the road to Aberdeen and being loaded on to a ship and dropped off on the Valris Norway rig in the North Sea.

Two bunnies were brought ashore before another one was found. They were handed into the care of an Aberdeenshire animal charity New Arc, who said they were very hungry.

A bunny in a box on a towel, with a bowl, and bits of vegetables, including carrots.Valaris

New Arc animal rescue said the rabbits were "eating us out of house and home"

They're "eating us out of house and home," they said.

A spokesperson added: "It's likely the bunnies found a nice warm place to hide in an offshore container.

"The container was transported onto the Valaris Norway where the bunnies took freedom and were found running around the deck.

"The crew immediately activated rescue mode and safely caught the two bunnies, setting them up with a warm bed and some fresh veggies and water."

They had a 22-hour journey back to Aberdeen to be handed over to the rescue charity.

Then when the crew headed back to the drilling rig, they found another cheeky bunny hiding in a forklift truck!

"The bunny got another all-inclusive cruise trip to Aberdeen," Michal Laursen, who is in charge of the rig, told BBC Scotland News.