Nothing to See Here, Just a Rabbit in a Stroller at the Airport
A huge rabbit just went viral for simply doing its job.
Just like I have in the recent past, I will keep preaching my truth—airports are, in my hierarchy of places, the closest thing to an alternate dimension I have ever witnessed. Think of all the strange characters, the odd places, the unexpected side quests, and even the most surprising plane neighbors.
If the combination of all those traits doesn't make you go "galaxy brain" mode and convince you that airports are the most iconically unhinged place on earth, then I might actually have something else for you. You know, just to add some fresh spicy evidence to the theory.
This week, a rabbit in a stroller was spotted at San Francisco International Airport. It was wearing a hat, too. A photo of the good bunny—as opposed to its much more famous counterpart—went viral on X (formerly Twitter), where the poster called everybody to the attention of the odd sighting. "[red alarm emoji] I am at the airport and there is a giant rabbit in a stroller I repeat a giant rabbit in a stroller [red alarm emoji]," they wrote in the caption, which was in all-caps, for an appropriately dramatic effect.
As it turns out, that's just Alex, the therapy rabbit. We know that because Alex replied to the original poster's thread, and decided to introduce themselves while responding to a series of questions from another X user. "We work at airports @flySFO and @FlySJC," the bunny allegedly "wrote." "But when we fly we go @AlaskaAir by choice.. yes we are fully certified therapy through the @sfspca and they call me Alex the great."
Apparently, Alex the Great does this to help nervous fliers deal with their travel-related anxieties. On Instagram, the big rabbit—who reportedly weighs in at 28 pounds, by the way—flaunts almost 20,000 followers, and their feed is filled with photos and videos of them spreading love and joy in multiple locations including, of course, the airport.
If Alex's therapeutic presence surprises you, just know that it's becoming a much more common thing than you can imagine. Denver's airport, for example, has a whole program in place named CATS (Canine Airport Therapy Squad) featuring more than 80 dogs and one cat serving as comfort pets. The service, which is free, comes around the gates to let nervous people pet the animals—you can check out the entire squad right here.