{{Short description|Former heaviest rabbit in the world}} {{use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox animal | name = Ralph | othername = | image = | caption = | species = ''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'' | breed = Continental Giant rabbit | gender = Male | weight = nearly {{convert|25|kg|lb}} | birth_date = {{circa}} 2009 | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | years_active = | owner = Pauline Grant | known = world's heaviest rabbit (2010, 2013) }} '''Ralph''' (born {{circa}} 2009) was a Continental Giant rabbit from Sussex, United Kingdom who weighed nearly {{convert|25|kg|lb}}.
Ralph was recognised as the world's heaviest rabbit by Guinness World Records in 2010.<ref name="ITV"/> He was dethroned in 2010 by Darius, another Continental Giant, before regaining the title as a 4-year-old in 2013.<ref name="Stuff"/> Ralph was one of 32 children of Amy, who was also the world's heaviest rabbit prior to her death from a heart attack in May 2009.<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref>{{cite news |title=World's Largest Rabbit Has Crazy Diet |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ralph-worlds-largest-bunny-rabbit_n_3006487 |work=HuffPost |date=3 April 2013 |language=en |archive-date=21 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621184915/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ralph-worlds-largest-bunny-rabbit_n_3006487 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ralph's father Roberto was also formerly the world's heaviest rabbit.<ref name="ITV">{{cite news |title=Is this the world's biggest rabbit? |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2013-04-01/ralph-is-this-the-worlds-biggest-bunny-rabbit/ |work=ITV News |date=1 April 2013 |language=en |archive-date=21 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621104908/https://www.itv.com/news/2013-04-01/ralph-is-this-the-worlds-biggest-bunny-rabbit/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Stuff">{{cite news |title=World's biggest bunny weighs in |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/8497402/Worlds-biggest-bunny-weighs-in |work=Stuff |date=1 April 2013 |language=en |archive-date=5 April 2013 |access-date=4 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405054901/http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/8497402/Worlds-biggest-bunny-weighs-in |url-status=live }}</ref>
Ralph ate £50 worth of food per week. His diet included a variety of vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, sweetcorn, and watercress, as well as brown bread, cream crackers, and Weetabix.<ref name="ITV"/> Ralph's owner was Pauline Grant and he lived at Sussex Horse Rescue in Uckfield,<ref>{{cite news |title=Behemoth bunny Ralph's record bid |url=https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/behemoth-bunny-ralphs-record-bid-26632781.html |work=Irish Independent |agency=PA Media |date=16 February 2010 |language=en}}</ref> where his keeper was Ella McDonnell.<ref>{{cite news |title=World's Biggest Bunny? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/worlds-biggest-bunny/ |work=CBS News |date=19 February 2010 |archive-date=20 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620211059/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/worlds-biggest-bunny/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ralph once traveled to London to meet spiritual medium Derek Acorah, who speculated that his great size could be due to possession. Grant, who believed her house to be haunted, said that Acorah had a "good old chat with Ralph about the spirits in our house. He seemed to think Ralph was channelling the spirit of a ghoul."<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news |title=Fat Ralph is world's biggest bunny |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7236201/Fat-Ralph-is-worlds-biggest-bunny.html |work=The Telegraph |date=15 February 2010 |archive-date=19 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619223618/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7236201/Fat-Ralph-is-worlds-biggest-bunny.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Ralph was featured by Bedtime Math as a subject of their arithmetic problems.<ref>{{cite news |title=Big Bunny |url=http://bedtimemath.org/fun-math-world-record-rabbit/ |work=Bedtime Math |date=17 December 2014 |quote=If Ralph eats 2 carrots and twice as many crackers for breakfast, how many food items does he eat? |archive-date=19 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619225045/http://bedtimemath.org/fun-math-world-record-rabbit/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2014, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a "Know Before You Fly" video warning drone operators not to fly uncrewed aircraft heavier than Ralph lest they get on the agency's "naughty list".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dooley |first1=Erin |title=How Not to Be 'Naughty' With Your Drone This Christmas |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/naughty-drone-christmas/story?id=27767661 |work=ABC News |date=December 22, 2014 |language=en |archive-date=21 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621003528/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/naughty-drone-christmas/story?id=27767661 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Know Before You Fly |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=73&v=XF5Q9JvBhxM&feature=emb_logo |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |date=22 December 2014 |time=0:55 |quote=Don’t fly anything that weighs more than 55 pounds. What weighs 55 pounds? Ralph, the world’s largest bunny rabbit. |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-date=31 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231160333/https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=73&v=XF5Q9JvBhxM&feature=emb_logo |url-status=live }}</ref>
In April 2021, Darius was stolen from the garden of his owner's home.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/world/europe/darius-worlds-longest-rabbit-stolen.html|title = Darius, 'World's Longest Rabbit,' is Missing|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 13 April 2021|last1 = Kwai|first1 = Isabella}}</ref>
==See also== *Largest organisms
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Individual rabbits Category:Individual animals in England Category:Sussex Category:2009 animal births