"We don't think it's appropriate because Nelson Mandela never had a rabbit on his ear."

AP

A sculpture of a bunny has been discovered in the ear of a 30-foot bronze statue of Nelson Mandela erected Dec. 16, the day after his funeral, at Union Buildings in Pretoria, capital of South Africa, the Associated Press and the BBC report.

The South African government is calling for the removal of the object, which was supposed to be the signature of the sculptors Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren.

“There are deliberations at present on how best to retain the integrity of the sculpture without causing any damage or disfigurement,” according to a statement issued by the Department of Arts and Culture.

The artists have apologized for inserting the rabbit without permission, and officials are reportedly figuring out a way for them to sign the statue in a more appropriate way.

As Mogomotsi Mogodiri, spokesman for South Africa’s Department of Arts and Culture, told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio show: “We don’t think it’s appropriate because Nelson Mandela never had a rabbit on his ear.”

Talk about a hare-raising incident! (Sorry, we couldn’t resist).