Man claims rabbits at airport damaged his car

DENVER - One air traveler says rabbits took a chunk out of his car while it was parked at Denver International Airport.

After a nine day stay at DIA's Pike's Peak lot, Dexter Meyer returned from vacation and found that his car would barely start.

"The (repair man) called me and told me that rodents had eaten through the wires," said Meyer. That's what the VW dealer said was wrong with his brand new Jetta.

"You didn't just pick the car up from the airport did you?" the dealer asked Meyer. "And I said, 'well as a matter of fact I did.' And he said 'well we've had several problems with people having rabbits eating through the wiring.'"

"We've seen rabbits and we've seen mice and they're eating up the newer cars," said Robert Bauguess, owner of Bavarian Autohaus. He said 2002 and newer models seem to be especially tasty.

Cars like Meyer's use a soy-based compound in the wiring.

Bauguess said a recent customer brought an unexpected passenger to the dealership along with her BMW. "There was a furry animal there and I poked at it, and it was a rabbit," said Bauguess.

Meyer says DIA admitted there are rabbits there --and everywhere else-- so they can't be sure their bunnies did the biting.

"We are aware of the problem," he said a woman from DIA told him on the phone, "And that they were thinking about increasing patrols. And I said 'to check out for bunnies?"

Bunnies clearly have not gotten the notice based on the number we saw around the parking lot.

"All I want to do is just to tell you there is a problem," Meyer said he told the woman, "Just to let you know that you might want to do something about it, and she said 'well, there is a fence.'"

"They made it in there. They found my car," Meyer said he told the woman at DIA, "The fence isn't working. And she said 'well, I don't know what to tell you,' and I said 'I just want to make sure that this is reported.'"

He says he never wanted reimbursement for repairs.

"I ended up paying $238 plus $55 in parking," he said.

It was about five years ago FOX31 News reported on this same issue at DIA when several travelers had the same complaint.

DIA told FOX31 News they won't comment on the situation because there's no proof that rabbits at the airport did any damage to Meyer's car.