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"Nijntje was from an ‘oops nest’. His father and mother were put in a box and left abandoned by the roadside. Luckily someone found them and took them home. Nijntje was born not much later, together with a brother and sister.

 

Nijntje was a really special rabbit. Incredibly naughty too, especially when he was young, he destroyed a lot and we found him in the craziest places! When he got older he knew very well what was and wasn’t allowed, and he used his naughtiness - especially when he wanted attention. I could often see from his face when he was going to do something mischievous. He was also incredibly smart. After 20 minutes of practice he knew the word ‘come’ and he would hop straight to me. When I asked where his food bowl was, he hopped to it. When I said how sweet he was, I got licks. Every now and then he got a raisin and when I said the word 'raisin', he started smacking his lips. Nijntje loved to cuddle and was a very sweet guy. Every night he would jump on the couch and sit next to me. He would sit there quietly for an hour cuddling and we would watch TV together. He really was my special buddy."  (Amy, 2025).

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Nijntje was adopted by Amy, a fantastic volunteer at Konijnenparadis. I'm convinced she is an incredibly gifted bunny whisperer, as within a very short time she gains their trust and they appear to communicate with her. It's so humbling and heartwarming  to witness Amy interacting with the bunnies . At the sanctuary we've seen her magically transform traumatised, defensive, hard to handle bunnies, into loving, gentle and trusting souls. Amy has done so much for the bunnies at Konijnenparadijs and the sanctuary would not be the same without her. Sadly Nijntje is no longer with us, but as he was such a special soul and had such a strong bond with Amy, his portrait was painted in honour of his memory. The proceeds from Nijntje's portrait are shared with Stichting Opvang Konijnenparadijs. For more information on this wonderful sanctuary, please visit www.konijnenparadijs.nl

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