United Airlines has moved to refute claims a giant bunny died on board one of its planes on a transatlantic flight from London to Chicago.

Simon the three-foot rabbit was found dead in the cargo hold after arriving at Chicago O’Hare airport from Heathrow.

Devastated owner Annette Edwards, from Barnt Green, was taking the £5,000 bunny to its new celebrity owner when the mystery death occurred.

A spokesman for the embattled carrier said the 10-month-old rabbit was alive when the plane landed in the US, disputing a report that the animal perished in the cargo hold.

The bunny showed no signs of distress when the plane landed, spokesman Charles Hobart told the New York Daily News .

He said the animal later died at a pet holding facility after it was taken off the plane and was waiting for a connecting flight to Kansas City.

But when the jet landed at Chicago's O'Hare airport, the valuable rabbit was found dead, a report by the Sun claimed .

United is reviewing the incident and the cause of Simon's death remains a mystery.

Hobart said the rabbit's new owner declined an offer of a free necropsy, and the airline has offered to compensate breeder Annette.

Annette Edwards with one of her giant rabbits

The 65-year-old model said that Simon was on track to become the world’s biggest bunny and was ’fit as a fiddle’ before he left London.

She told The Sun: “Simon had a vet’s check-up three hours before the flight and was fit as a fiddle.


“I’ve sent rabbits all around the world and nothing like this has happened before.”

Simon, who was a Continental Giant breed, was the offspring of record-breaking bunny Darius, who also belongs to Annette.

Measuring in at 4ft ft and 3ins, Darius is the biggest rabbit in the world, but Simon was catching up fast.

The mysterious death is the latest scandal to hit US Airlines, which is fighting to restore its reputation after footage showed a doctor being violently dragged from an overbooked flight.

David Dao was left bleeding after being forcibly removed from his seat while the plane was waiting to depart Chicago two weeks ago.