Danish radio host kills rabbit during live show about animal welfare

Host Asger Juhl said it was a way of demonstrating the 'hypocrisy' of animal rights campaigners

Allan the rabbit was killed live on air (Radio24syv, Denmark/Facebook)

A Danish radio station has come under fire after one of its hosts killed a baby rabbit live on air during a show about animal welfare.

Radio24syv presenter Asger Juhl was hosting a live debate when he reportedly hit nine-week-old rabbit Allan with a bicycle pump, saying it was a way of demonstrating the "hypocrisy" of animal rights campaigners who eat meat from supermarkets.

Allan was killed despite objections from reality star Linse Kesser, who was brought onto the programme as an outspoken advocate for animal rights.

Sky News reported that the rabbit "twitched several times before quietly dying".

A video was posted on the radio's Facebook page showing meat being fried. A comment from the station said Juhl and his co-host Kristoffer Eriksen would eat the rabbit following its death.

In a video message posted on Facebook after the show, Kessler said she understood the point that Radio24syv was trying to make, but Allan "should not have been killed" live on air.

Local media was quick to draw comparisions to the controversial killing of Marius the giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo.

A statement from the radio station read: "We ensured that we killed the rabbit in a sound manner, in accordance with very precise instructions that were given to us by a zookeeper– so the rabbit did not suffer any harm."

"It is not our wish to offend anyone with this debate. And we regret that many people have misunderstood our message," the station added. "But we hope that this heated debate creates better conditions for animals in Danish agriculture."