A startling photo ricocheting around a neighborhood Facebook group appears to show a man on Milwaukee's East Side holding a partially skinned rabbit up to his mouth as he walks down a sidewalk, and city officials say they are now taking a hard look at it. The graphic image has raised immediate questions about whether any health, wildlife or animal protection rules might have been crossed. For now, authorities say the whole thing is still in the early stages as they work to confirm what the photo actually shows and where the animal came from.
Officials Reviewing the Photo
Milwaukee Police Captain Robert Thiel told TMZ that the image was forwarded to the department and that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been notified. Thiel said there have been no official reports filed with police and that the information remains preliminary. DNR was brought in, he noted, because the situation "could potentially involve a hunting violation or animal abuse." Investigators say they first need to confirm where the rabbit came from before they can decide whether any laws were actually broken.
Hunting Rules and DNR Context
The Wisconsin DNR regulates small game hunting and notes that cottontail rabbit seasons vary by zone, and the agency lists Milwaukee County as "year round" for cottontail rabbits. That means a rabbit taken inside county limits could, at least on paper, fall under legal hunting rules, according to the Wisconsin DNR. The agency also publishes season dates, license requirements and guidance on safe handling of wild game for hunters and the public. That backdrop helps explain why local authorities looped in the DNR while they try to verify what the viral photo actually depicts.
Health Department and Community Response
The City of Milwaukee Health Department told TMZ it is aware of the image and is reviewing the matter, although officials said they had not received formal complaints. The earliest versions of the post surfaced in a neighborhood Facebook group and sparked alarm from some residents, but on the ground details and eyewitness accounts have not been independently verified.
Legal Questions and Possible Violations
Wisconsin law prohibits treating "any animal ... in a cruel manner," with penalties that can range from forfeitures and misdemeanors up to felony charges when an act causes mutilation or death, according to legal summaries of the state's anti cruelty code. The statute includes certain exemptions and overlaps with regulated hunting and veterinary practices, which is one reason DNR involvement is part of the review. For a breakdown of the statutes and penalties, see the Animal Legal & Historical Center.
What Happens Next
Investigators say they will work to verify the image, identify the person pictured and trace where the rabbit, if it was a wild animal, came from before making any enforcement decisions. If the animal was legally taken and handled in line with hunting rules, authorities may conclude that no crime occurred. If evidence instead points to unlawful killing, mutilation or other cruelty, prosecutors could pursue charges under state law. For season dates, harvest rules and DNR contact information, consult the agency's small game pages cited above.
At this point officials have not released the location or the identity of the person in the photo. This story will be updated as additional details are released by police, the health department or the DNR.
