Salzburg (Upper Austria) - Shortly before Easter, employees at the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg experienced a real surprise.

According to Pfotenhilfe Lochen, the finders discovered three cute baby rabbits in the middle of the soccer pitch on Tuesday.

Apparently, an unsuspecting mommy had thought her bunny babies were safe there. After too much commotion, however, she had not returned to her offspring.

Fortunately, the cute trio were discovered before the training session and were handed over safe and sound to the Pfotenhilfe animal sanctuary.

"The three baby rabbits were already very hungry. Apparently the mother was frightened off by the soccer action. In any case, the babies were in mortal danger on the pitch," says Pfotenhilfe boss Johanna Stadler.

Normally, young animals do not need help when they are sitting on the grass without their mother. However, they should definitely be brought to safety from dangerous places such as a soccer pitch.

Sometimes the rescue of bunnies is described by the uninformed as "wildlife theft" or a "misguided understanding of animal welfare".

"There are indeed always cases where baby rabbits are in distress and need help, be it when they are carried off by dogs or cats or are sitting on the side of the road or other dangerous places or are about to drown in manure," says Stadler.

However, if finders are unsure, a call to a wild animal rescue center can be helpful.

On the occasion of the Easter holidays, Pfotenhilfe is warning against live Easter presents. According to Stadler, small animals in pet stores often encourage spontaneous purchases.

But rodents also need a lot of attention and care: " Animals are completely unsuitable as gifts because they often overwhelm children or they lose interest after a short time because they do not meet expectations as they are not cuddly toys."