Milwaukee Officials Investigate Disturbing Viral Rabbit Photo

A photo that’s been making the rounds on Milwaukee social media has prompted city officials and state authorities to launch an investigation—and for good reason. The image, shared in a local Facebook group, appears to show a man consuming what looks like a partially skinned rabbit carcass while casually walking down a sidewalk on the city’s East Side. According to the post, the incident occurred within the last several days.

The graphic nature of the photo didn’t go unnoticed. It quickly spread online, raising immediate questions about potential health code violations and animal welfare concerns. Milwaukee Police Captain Robert Thiel tells us the department received the photo and wasted no time forwarding it to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Right now, investigators are working to verify the image’s authenticity and determine exactly what went down.

Here’s where it gets complicated: authorities can’t yet say whether a crime actually occurred. Captain Thiel explains that before they can determine if any laws were broken, they need to establish where the animal came from. It’s possible the rabbit was legally obtained, or that no violation took place at all. However, the incident could potentially involve hunting violations or animal abuse, which is why the DNR is involved. The Milwaukee Health Department is also reviewing the matter, though officials say they haven’t received any formal complaints or reports.

Thiel describes the image as disturbing, which feels like an understatement. What’s particularly striking is how preliminary everything still is—no arrests, no confirmed details, just a photo circulating online that’s set off alarms across multiple city departments. It’s a reminder of how quickly a single image can mobilize official scrutiny, and how much detective work goes into figuring out what actually happened before anyone can draw conclusions.