Big Red, a long-eared mascot at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, Ill., died in his sleep late Wednesday or early Thursday, reported his owner Rich Henry on the Route 66 yahoo group.
Henry wrote:
He was the perfect image of health. Tuesday afternoon, during his annual comprehensive exam, received a clean bill of health. Yesterday was like every other day. We miss Him greatly, as he was making his mark with the Route 66 world.
Henry has requested no phone calls about his pet’s death.
This video, shot this summer for the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, features Henry and Big Red:
Big Red was the successor to longtime mascot Montana, who died in June 2008 at age 7 after a period of declining health. Like Montana, Big Red would sit quietly on a counter and be petted by tourists who stopped in to check out the Route 66 business.
Henry ended up having a slew of pet rabbits after his daughter had one. At one point, he had 49 pet rabbits at the ranch. Now, less than a dozen remain. The others perished from old age.