A US man who was transporting a giant rabbit from Britain for his boss to show at a fair says "we're still in the mourning process" after the animal died en route in a United Airlines flight.
Bryan Bergdale of West Des Moines had driven to Kansas City last Thursday to pick up Simon, a 10-month-old, one-metre continental rabbit, when he received a call from United Airlines.
Bergdale says "we'd built a pen and had toys all ready."
Bergdale says the rabbit cost his boss $US530 ($A709) and shipping was $US1,800 ($A2,407). He says he had a pen built and had planned for air conditioning to be piped in.
Earlier, United Airlines spokesman Charles Hobart said the airline was reviewing its handling of Simon on the flight from London to Chicago.
The animal was alive and showed no signs of distress upon landing but died at a pet holding facility at the airport, Hobart said.
"We won't know the cause of death because we offered to perform a necropsy free of charge - that's standard procedure - but the customer didn't want us to perform a necropsy, and we understand," he said.
Hobart said the airline offered compensation to the breeder but would not disclose the amount.
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