But the Officials were different; after all, there had to be people before there were Officials. If there were no people left, what use would those Officials have?
In the past, if three or five people or even ten or twenty died, the Officials could turn a blind eye. But if the death toll reached into the hundreds in one go, well, not to mention the Imperial Court's accountability, even the most placid Rabbit would see red in such a situation.
If the Officials still did nothing under these circumstances, the eventual outcome for the Zoo would be either the animals scattering and escaping or the collective rebellion of those animals. Either way, it was not a result the Officials wanted to see.
If the Officials' inaction in the past might have only provoked protests, now their inaction could result in true existential danger.
