In 2012, the world met Champis, a rabbit with a unique skill. He herded sheep! A YouTube video showcasing his hopping approach to herding posted in January 2012. It currently has more than 4 million views. One of his owners, Paula Lundberg, calls him “the big little bunny.”
Background On Champis The Rabbit
Living on a farm near Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, Champis might have picked up his herding skills by watching the herding work of the dogs on the farm. Would Champis win a herding competition? Well, no, but he certainly keeps these sheep moving.
In a comment on YouTube, Ava Taria says: “The farm is our neighbour in our summer house. The bunny was king of the barn. The sheep was terrified of him because he bit their legs if they didn’t obey him. His best friend was a chicken…”
More about Champis is written on a blog for the farm. Champis was a mixed breed dwarf rabbit and lived to be about 10 years old. He didn’t start life on the Farm Hill farm, but he certainly came to love being with the chickens, sheep, and dogs. He wasn’t a fan of cats, though.
CJ, Heir To Champis
In her blog, Paula Lundberg described several attempts to breed Champis. Anyone who thinks breeding rabbits is easy should read about the many problems encountered in the attempt to get babies from Champis. Finally, in late November 2014, Champis had a son. Named Champis Jr., his nickname is CJ, and he lives on the farm today continuing the legacy of Champis. Although he hasn’t shown any herding behavior, he is good friends with the sheep and chickens.
Champis Gets New Fans
The blog post in late February 2015 described how Champis became an angel bunny. He was more than 10 years old. Before his passing, Lundberg noticed his activity level and appetite decreased dramatically. Memories of Champis live on, and new fans are born all the time thanks to the herding video.
Han var speciell… <3
