A teacher who killed and skinned a rabbit in front of school pupils in the US has apologised to the “disturbed” children.

The man, who has not been identified, put the animal in a restraining device before breaking its neck and butchering it at Columbia High School in Nampa, Idaho.

Working part-time as a teacher, he also raises rabbits and other livestock on his farm for food and wanted to give his 10th-grade biology class a lesson on animal slaughter and processing.

Allison Westfall, a spokesperson for the Nampa School District, said he had apologised to children who were disturbed by the graphic demonstration.

It was not cleared by school administrators and only came to light after parents called to complain and students told other teachers they were upset, she added.

Killing and skinning animals is not part of the district's 10th-grade biology curriculum, Ms Westfall said, adding: “It's not something that's done in our schools.”

The teacher had once before been asked by students to show them how to slaughter and process a rabbit but had declined on that occasion, she said. Students who did not want to watch the animal be killed were excused.

Ms Westfall said the district once held mostly rural students but has seen a rapid increase in enrolment and urbanisation because of its proximity to Idaho's capital city, Boise.

She declined to say whether the teacher in question was facing any penalties for his actions, citing confidentiality.