In 1979, a wild rabbit swam aggressively toward President Jimmy Carter's fishing boat in 1979. It quickly became known as the "killer rabbit attack," and was used against him by Ronald Reagan's campaign in the 1980 election.
The incident occurred on April 20 while Carter was fishing alone in a pond near his hometown of Plains, Georgia. As reported by The Washington Post in an article titled "Bunny Goes Bugs: Rabbit Attacks President," the president spotted a swamp rabbit making a beeline for his boat, "hissing menacingly, its teeth flashing and nostrils flared." Carter defended himself by splashing water at the creature with his paddle until it retreated to shore.
When Carter later recounted the tale to White House staffers, they were skeptical until he produced photographic evidence. The story might have ended there, but months later, Press Secretary Jody Powell mentioned it to AP reporter Brooks Jackson. The media immediately seized upon the bizarre tale. The Carter administration initially refused to release the photograph, with Deputy Press Secretary Rex Granum declaring, "There are just certain stories about the President that must forever remain shrouded in mystery."
The incident became political fodder for Carter's opponents. As University of Maryland zoologist Vagn Flyger noted at the time, "If anything, he [the rabbit] was probably scared and trying to find a dry place." But the damage was done. The media used the episode as a metaphor to portray Carter as weak, contributing to his image problems before his 1980 defeat to Ronald Reagan.
In a final twist, the Reagan administration found and released the suppressed photo after taking office, proving the fact that Republicans have always been sore winners.
As reported by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, swamp rabbits are large cottontails weighing up to 6 pounds. They are remarkable swimmers that will dive into water when threatened, submerging themselves until only their noses remain visible above the surface. These semi-aquatic rabbits can survive floods by hopping between floating logs to feed and rest.
Previously:
• Why are rabbit's feet considered lucky?
• Venezuelan government hopes eating rabbits will ease food crisis