IT’S A WHO‘BUN’IT
2nd man: saved the rabbit
A man who claimed to be the hero that was caught on a viral video rescuing a rabbit during the California wildfires may have been spinning a fluffy tale.
Oscar Gonzales told local TV news crews Friday that he was the rabbit rescuer who touched the hearts of millions on news sites and social media. He said he braved the fire to save the bunny because he loves animals.
But now a second man has emerged to say he is the true savior — and claims he has the evidence to back it up.
Caleb Wadnan, 21, told The Huffington Post that he was the blurry figure captured on video saving the woodland creature off the highway in La Conchita.
“I just ran out,” Wadnan told HuffPo. “I had faith . . . and that’s when the bunny ran back toward the flames. And I was like, ‘No, baby bunny, I’m here. I’m going to take care of you.’ ”
His story is supported by a local veterinarian, a wildlife rehabilitation center and the camera crew that filmed the rescue.
“NBC4 found reason to believe that Oscar Gonzales was not the man in the video as he claimed and followed up with him and his girlfriend,” the station reported.
“The couple still insists he was the one seen in the video, but after using an enhanced image NBC4 has concluded the actual man in the video was Caleb Wadnan.”
Gonzales sat for an interview with NBC4, providing pictures of clothing similar to those seen in the video — but with “distinct differences,” the station reported. Wadnan’s clothes were found to be an exact match.
Furthermore, Wadnan has said he brought the injured critter to Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital — an account which hospital staff back up. Gonzales, on the other hand, claimed to have released the rabbit in the wild.
The veterinary hospital sent the female cottontail bunny off for further treatment at the California Wildlife Center — where Wadnan was directed by chief of animal care Duane Tom to call The Huffington Post, according to its report.
Tom says the animal is improv- ing, but not yet out of the woods.
He rejected claims from critics s that the rabbit should have been left alone to fend for itself in the inferno, saying it “definitely” needed medical help.
It’s possible that Gonzales was telling the truth about saving a rabbit that day, but it appears only one rescue was captured on camera.