Big British bunny is world record setter

WORCHESTER, England, April 5 (UPI) -- A British woman's big bunny has captured the world record by weighing in at 49 pounds and measuring 4 feet 3 inches long, Guinness World Records says.

"It's amazing that a rabbit could grow to more than 4 feet long," The Mirror quoted a Guinness spokesman as saying.

Darius the rabbit, a member of the Continental Giant breed, is just 13 months old, the British newspaper said. Each day, he eats at least a dozen carrots, three apples, a cabbage, two bowls of special rabbit mix and some hay.

His owner, Annette Edwards, 59, says she thinks Darius will keep getting bigger during the next six months.

Darius comes from a long line of huge hares -- his mother Alice and grandmother Amy were previous record holders, The Guardian said. He took the size record from a step-brother, Ralph, owned by a woman in Uckfield.

"I measured him this weekend and realized he is far larger than any of his predecessors," Edwards said. "He is so gentle and I wonder if this has helped him grow bigger than the rest. He runs around all the time, so the combination of food and exercise has worked out for him.

"People ask what my secret is, but there really isn't one, other than just treating them well and looking after them."