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The Polish government is encouraging citizens to go forth and multiply – like rabbits.
The health ministry of Poland, which has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, has put out a short video praising rabbits for producing a lot of offspring.
The YouTube video shows rabbits munching on lettuce and carrots while a rabbit “narrator” reveals the secret of their big families — exercise, a healthy diet and little stress.
The brief appearance of a human couple enjoying a romantic picnic hints that a little romance might help, and a wine glass turned upside down suggested an anti-alcohol message.
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Viewers are told: “If you ever want to be a parent, follow the example of rabbits.”
It is the latest step by the conservative government in this mostly Catholic country of 38 million to reverse a shrinking population. European Union figures show that Poland’s birth rate was 1.32 children per woman in 2015. Only Portugal had a lower fertility rate, though the figures in Spain and Greece were almost as low as Poland.
The health ministry said in a statement that it was trying to encourage Poles in their reproductive years — between the ages of 18 and 45 — to adopt a healthy lifestyle that would improve their reproductive health.
It also said it was seeking to raise public awareness of the issue in a way that “did not offend anyone and was not vulgar”.
– AP