Starving North Koreans could soon be enjoying steaming platters of giant rabbit - thanks to German pensioner Karl Szmolinsky who recently sold 12 of the überbunnies to the nosh-strapped Communist state.

Szmolinsky was aproached by the North Korean embassy in Berlin after "attracting attention for breeding his country's largest rabbit", the Telegraph reports. Officials travelled to Eberswalde to see Robert the 23lb Germany Gray Giant for themselves. They offered Szmolinsky a supply contract on the spot, and stumped up £60 a pop for eight females and four males which were subsequently shipped to North Korea.

Szmolinsky explained: "They want to boost meat production. They've arranged for me to go to Pyongyang in April to advise them on setting up a breeding farm."

According to the Telegraph, one Gray Giant provides up to 15lb of meat. The paper does, however, spot one potentially fatal flaw in the plan: since the monster rabbits are "voracious eaters", just where will the Pyongyang authorities find the food necessary to fatten them for the pot? ®

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