PHOTOGRAPHY: GIANT ZOMBIE HARE

I don't recall ever seeing a wild hare before and was not really expecting to see any next to my hotel in Ulriksdal (Solna, north-west Stockholm). The first time I saw them, it was very late at night and I actually thought they were medium size dogs. That was until I saw the size of the ears and caught a brief glimpse of their face, which I must say frightened the pants off me (it was the red glare in the eyes that did it), after which I called them the giant zombie hares of Ulriksdal.

The next time I saw one, it was first thing in the morning and I was astonished at how big it was. It looked as big as the bonnet of a car and did not seem to be startled by my presence. They do look very similar to rabbit, but there are some obvious differences: their overall size is much larger, as are the ears and hind legs. I may be imagining it, but their faces seem to be a different shape too. In broad daylight, it looked a lot sweeter. I spent several minutes observing it, before it scampered off to a feed in a patch of wasteland.

It's not the first time I have seen strange animals roaming free in Stockholm. Nothing will ever beat spotting a moose gangling around in the south of the city though.