The World Mourns Wally, The Instagram Star Rabbit Who Stole Our Hearts

Instagram is where we go to find polished photos of our favorite foods, makeup looks, travel destinations, and adorable pets. This was good news for an English Angora rabbit named Wally, who became internet-famous for having big, fluffy ears and a poodle-like haircut.

Wally lived with his owner Molly Prottas in Massachusetts, where Molly took adorable photos of her little bunny and posted them on Instagram regularly. The account has amassed over 330,000 followers over the years, as many have fallen in love with pictures of Wally munching on veggies, enjoying a hop in the garden, or wearing a handmade costume.

On March 8, 2017, Wally passed away suddenly and Molly posted a final tribute on Instagram: "Wally was such a special bunny rabbit with a truly magical spirit. I love him so much and miss him with all my heart."

I have some very sad news. Wally died on Wednesday night of a liver lobe torsion. He was his happy self when I left for work, and when I returned, he could hardly move. I took him to the ER and he died within the hour. My brother wrote me an email that I think captures Wally perfectly. I'll share a part of it: "Wally's light was so bright, he was like a shooting star. Shooting stars are brilliant and leave everyone in awe, they just sometimes don't last long. But their memory lasts forever." Wally was such a special bunny rabbit with a truly magical spirit. I love him so much and miss him with all my heart.

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Mar 12, 2017 at 9:34am PDT

It's sad news, but we can remember Wally as the little guy who brought joy to so many. Wasn't he the cutest rabbit-poodle you ever saw?

This was Wally watching the Amazon truck pass our mailbox without making a delivery. Even when he knows he didn't order anything, he always has a sliver of hope that somehow he'll still get a package.

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Mar 1, 2017 at 2:11pm PST

What about Wally's unique haircut? Angora rabbits require a lot of brushing, and after Wally showed discomfort with regular grooming, his owner decided to give him a haircut to prevent his fur from becoming matted.

Wally knew he wasn't supposed to eat the tulips, so he just very intensely smelled them. â˜ºï¸

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Dec 14, 2016 at 5:17am PST

You never know when a bunny might pop out of your wheelbarrow.

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Apr 24, 2016 at 2:49pm PDT

On July 2016, Molly decided to get a girlfriend for Wally, so she brought Suki home. Suki is also an Angora and after some territory disputes, they became inseparable.

A Wally Story Part 8: "We have, however, been able to fulfill Wish #2: "˜Gray Bunny Princess.'" Wally gasps. He dashes to the porch, still in his fish costume. And there on the steps, sprouting up from pink bubble wrap, emerges a gray bunny in a tiara. "Hi! It's ME, Suki!" She looks surprised. "You're a FISH?" she asks. "No! I'm a BUNNY!" exclaims Wally. "I'm a bunny, TOO!" says Suki. Together, they frolic into the yard holding paws and giggling. And so begins a wonderful friendship. ... The end. "¢ SURPRISE! Wally has a new friend, Suki! They are bonded and I can't wait to post more photos and videos! To read more about Suki, visit the link in our profile. Wally also begged me to start a Snapchat account for him because he said he wasn't "cool" without one. Our handle is wallythebunny. Join us for some great photos and videos of Wally and Suki throughout the day! (Please bear with me - I'm a brand new Snapper.)

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Jul 22, 2016 at 8:05am PDT

My two snuggly wugglies! I have a confession to make - and I never thought I'd be saying or emoji-ing this, but ... I â¤ï¸ ðŸ‘»! (I love Snapchat!) It's full of endless magical fun. Also, if you have the Bitmoji app and then click "connect" on Snapchat, you can message with your friends who also have Bitmoji - using Bitmojis! It was absolutely cracking me up last night because you AND your friend are in the Bitmoji picture. Anyways ... I'll be posting Wally and Suki photos and videos throughout the day on Snapchat, so come join us! ðŸ¤— Our handle is wallythebunny.

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Jul 24, 2016 at 6:51am PDT

A #sponsored Wally Story Part II: With orange lips and carrot-stuffed cheeks, Wally and Suki were mesmerized as they watched @secretlifeofpets. After barely leaving their room the entire week, I finally knocked on the door. "We're in scene study!" they yelled. I held my ear to the door. Line for line, they were acting out scenes from #thesecretlifeofpets. They've since convinced me that nightly viewings of the movie are "essential" to their "character development."

A post shared by Wally the Bunny (@wally_and_molly) on Dec 9, 2016 at 12:23pm PST

Will Suki follow Wally's footsteps and become the new star? Stay tuned!