Those awe some little Aussie bandicoots are at it again, trying to nose their way into the Easter egg delivery business traditionally handled by the Easter Bunny and his many little hoppers . . er, that is, helpers.
Since 1991, anti-rabbit forces Down Under have been challenging the Big Hopper, even marketing cute chocolate Bilbies to drum up support for their campaign. And in their natural habitat of Australia, the Easter Bilby madness has spread like wildfire, with store and supermarket shelves packed with more chocolate bilbies every year. In the U.S.the Cadbury Bunnies' jobs are still secure, so far, but will the bilby become a threat in the next millennium?
Clearly bilbies are well qualified for the Easter delivery trade - they've got strong hopping legs, long rabbit-like ears, cuteness to spare and even a long, sleek tail to balance out their pointy little faces. Growing forces of disgruntled rabbit opponents believe the Big Bunny has been monopolizing the holiday for too long, squeezing out smaller, less prolific species once associated with the holiday such as the stubborn Easter mule, who never really got into the proper holiday spirit, and the energetic spring chicken, who not only delivered but actually produced her own eggs (though some contend they were never as tasty as the rabbit's chocolate creme-filled variety).
Latecomers to Easter festivities, the quick little bunnies wasted no time taking over the field, multiplying like - well, like rabbits - and nibbling away relentlessly (some would say ruthlessly) at whatever stood in their way on the bunny trail to success, especially if it was green and leafy.
They didn't stop once they cornered the colored egg market, either. Discovering the potential for expansion in the chocolate industry, Big Bunny made some sweet deals with the candy people, effectively tying up the market on chocolate rabbits.
Spokesbunnies, of course, insist they used no unfair trade practices to achieve their unrivaled dominance, explaining that "we're just way cuter than chickens, and what's so strange about rabbits delivering eggs? It's just an integral part of our special Easter holiday services." Leading Easter Bunny experts, in fact, claim it would be impossible to separate the functions of delivering Easter eggs - representing the spirit of renewed life - and spreading the bunny image through irresistibly delicious chocolate rabbits.
On the other side of the world, however, the Easter Bunny's empire may be starting to crack. Ever since misguided human settlers released non-native rabbits into the wild on the island continent, their practices of wreaking havoc on the local vegetation and starving out the competition - including the shy and gentle bilby - has been rubbing a lot of people and other species the wrong way. And with the official backing of the Anti-Rabbit Research Foundation of Australia, dedicated to protecting Australia's wildlife and environment, the bilby has been gathering political clout. The rabbit's prolific nature and wild pagan roots - the very qualities that helped it earn the title of Easter Bunny, symbol of fertility and new life, in northern hemisphere - have undermined its position in Australia's fragile ecosystem.
 |
Go To Page: 1 2
