So there I was on my bike, zipping along on my commute, rediscovering old favorites on my ipod. And then I had to swerve to miss running over a dead bunny rabbit on St. Charles in front of Loyola U. Now, this is a city. What the heck is a bunny doing trying to cross the street here? He must have lived in Audubon Park with the geese and alligators. But what made him make a run for it? On my way to work it seemed he’d been very recently hit. He looked like he could have been asleep, except for the bloody neck. But by the time I was headed home, his body was definitely the worse for wear, with his legs bent back and run over and his eyes pecked out by some hungry bird. He kind of looked deflated. It wasn’t pretty. It made me feel really, really sad. I was thinking, though, how often I pass squirrels dead on the street and don’t really give it a second thought. I mean, squirrels are just bushy-tailed rats, right? Bunnies are cute as all get out, what with their floppity ears and soft fur and chompity-chomp teeth. But mostly what it is, I think, is that we become accustomed to certain kinds of death–squirrels are the least of it–while other deaths always strike us as just a little more tragic. It’s just a matter of what we’re used to seeing, what becomes normal. But this dead bunny became normal pretty quickly, as cars just ran right over him. Sometimes the speed with which we as a culture learn to accept certain kinds of violence freaks me out. But then I just get back on my bike and let it fade into the background, like most of us.
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 
Unfortunately in an autocentric world road kill is a fact of life.
However they can be recycled…
Aaron
thats is soo tragic. I CANT believe u saw that “girlfriend.”
im am sooo doing a project on this bunny, and other TRAGIC roadkill. jeez. like WTF?
That is very tragic and what she should have done instead of take of pic of it and posting it on the web (ew), is she should have scooped it up and buried it. Giving it a proper burial.
That is sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who puts a picture of a dead rabbit with its guts hanging out on the web?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!? I bet you killed it. I bet you killed it on purpose!!!!!! You’re sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just can’t believe you would be sooooo sick as to actually take a picture of it!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!
Many people don’t care or even think much about roadkill. When driving it’s easy to drive by and not face what the use of automobiles results in. Since most people eat animals, many of them feel disconnected from other than human living beings. It is possible though to genuinely be empathetic with animals.
I no longer have a car, and honestly, I don’t want one. I used to become really upset after hitting an animal while driving, but now I’ve realized I’m not trapped into making decisions that cause harm. I don’t actually need a car, and I like the pace of life without one. Many people seem to cram so much stuff into their schedule they spend hours driving and miss out on feeling grounded and a part of the natural world around them.
I have come to think that cycling is a good option to cars. Recumbent trikes can be paneled, equipped with electric assist, and pull trailers. For those who can’t pedal, a neighborhood electric vehicle might suit them. I think modern society could do away with gas powered automobiles today and be better off without them. I certainly have and am. Give it some thought.