Eleven rabbits were found to have been killed Sunday morning at a school for disabled children in the city of Tottori following the deaths of 10 others earlier this month, police said.
A total of 22 other rabbits have also been killed at two elementary schools in the city this month, and police suspect that a single person or group of people is responsible as most of the rabbits have been killed in a similar manner -- by being trampled to death.
Officials at the school for the disabled, which is attached to Tottori University, say the 11 rabbits had their ribs broken or hearts crushed and could have been squeezed to death.
The rabbits were donated to the school Thursday to replace the ones killed earlier.
"I don't understand why they were killed. The incident will make children sad," Principal Katsumi Irie said.