Earlier this week, you may have noticed some sort of shift in your life. Maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that something has happened to make your outlook on life a little bit better. Indeed, on Monday, March 20th, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere were treated to the first day of Spring. Ah, that glorious time of year when the birds start screaming at each other, the days stretch on longer, and the snow… disappears? Well, that should be the case for everyone who doesn’t live in the Midwestern United States, at least. But there’s one thing the Vernal Equinox brings that’s even better than melted snow and sunshine. Soon, all these tiny little rabbits will be hopping out of their hidey holes to grace us with their presence. There will be a collective “awwww” heard around the world when those furry creatures use their massive back legs to leap back into our lives.
All this rabbit talk has gotten me thinking about my favorite location in the most overlooked game in the Zelda series: Rabbitland Rescue from Spirit Tracks.
Rabbitland Rescue is a small area in the Forest Realm. Throughout your journey, you’ll see tons of little rabbits hanging out on top of large boulders, as well as barrels in the middle of the ocean (sure, makes sense). You use your cannon to blast whatever platform they’re sitting on, and they jump out. You then play a little minigame to try and catch them, and sometimes the rabbits just hop on top of the ocean like it’s no big deal. It is. It is a big deal, rabbits. As far as I know, there is no canon explanation for why this is, but I digress. Once the rabbits are caught, they are transported to the Rescue, where they can hop around safely on dry land.
Each Realm of Hyrule has 10 rabbits to find, so there’s a total of 50 for you to locate and capture. One little detail I love about this place is that each Realm is represented in the Rescue, which means the rabbits will still feel at home in their new location, even if they aren’t roaming completely free. The Forest Realm rabbits frolic in the southwestern part, Snow Rabbits are up in the northwestern area, Ocean Rabbits are in the water (obviously because they can HOP ON WATER. WHY AREN’T WE HARNESSING THIS POWER?!), Sand Rabbits can be found in the southeastern region, and Fire Rabbits hang out in the northeast. These all roughly translate to where they are on the actual map, and each area has different attributes that make the space feel more like home to the rabbits.
Now, who in their right mind would go and set up this sanctuary for our hopping friends? None other than Bunnio, a.k.a. the greatest human alive. This man left his home to create the Rescue, leaving his wife alone in Hyrule Town. For saving the rabbits, Bunnio gives Link a Heart Container, some treasure, and a Swordsman’s Scroll that teaches Link to shoot Sword Beams. But best of all, you get the undying support of the rabbit guy! That’s a gift money can’t buy.
Rabbitland Rescue may be just a small part of a giant map, but it encompasses all of New Hyrule, both literally and figuratively. It’s run by a passionate man who cares about animals, who is willing to give up life in the city to protect a small population of rabbits. It’s also something that we haven’t really seen in a Zelda game before — a place to take in strays and make sure they are loved and cared for.
As much as I joked around in this article, it’s truly a wonderful location. Now that spring is in the air, let’s hope that there are plenty of Bunnios out there who will help protect the animals who need it the most. We should all aspire to #BeLikeBunnio, and if you live in the United States, you can always use this website to find the shelter closest to you and help our furry friends live their best lives.
Happy Spring, everyone!
