Broome Street Day Care gets a duplex for Local Bunny

A black and white rabbit tenant of Little Star of Broome Street's Day Care recently had an upgrade in his housing situation. Thanks to the generosity of Kwai Chan, of local Fire House 55, the rabbit, named Beast,  is now living in a new duplex rabbit hutch at the day care center.

Having an animal on site as part of the classroom is an exciting element to the day to day children's programming. Mary Cheng, Director of Little Star notes, "Wewanted a mascot for the school for awhile, as animals in general help naturally bring out children's natural sense of curiosity, while fostering a sense of responsibility and compassion through caring for the animal."  Now with Beast on site, the children are able to see his daily care and growth. 

Rabbits, not to be confused with Hares, need a hutch to imitate their normal burrowing environment in the wild. The children of Little Star of Broome Street help to take care of Beast, feed him his herbivore's diet, and he is incorporated into their classes learning about animal life.

As Director Cheng notes, Beast was named by the children, but it "does not reflect his gentle soul." The hands on learning is part of the Creative Curriculum, and ensures a holistic education for the youth at the center.

"We are happy that Beast has a new home," said Edgar Pereira, Director of Programs. "Everyone should be lucky to have a two story home in lower Manhattan."