New research carried out online has found that 59% of 28,113 respondents preferred to eat chocolate rabbits starting with the ears, 33% indicated that they had no starting point preference, and 4% indicated that they started with the tail or feet.

Researchers conducting the online search also found increased reports of confectionary rabbit auricular amputation-that is, ear amputations of chocolate bunnies-in late March through mid-April for each of the 5 years studied.

Mapping techniques showed the annual peak incidence in 2012 to 2017 to be near Easter for each year studied, and human adults and children appeared to be wholly responsible for the amputations.

Although several reconstructive efforts might be used to re-attach the ears, this may be a futile effort, since often the rest of the rabbit soon succumbs to a similar fate.

"It was interesting to discover that few other confectionary symbols, such as Santa, succumb to isolated defects, like the chocolate bunnies do," said Dr. Kathleen Yaremchuk, lead author of the Laryngoscope study.