COLLEGE PARK. Md.--An animal liberation group staged a pre-dawn raid on the University of Maryland's animal science building early this month--only a few days before Easter--securing freedom and a new lease on life for more than 40 laboratory bunnies.

The group, a collection of students--some from the College Park campus--which calls itself the Band of Mercy, broke in and liberated the rabbits, some of which were to be killed and cooked next month by a rabbit production class.

Dona Kern, assistant animal science professor and rabbit production class instructor, said the rabbits were taken from the building after it was closed for the weekend. The Diamondback, the College Park student newspaper, reported recently.

A spokesman for the Band of Mercy said the group made the raid to protest the work of Kern, who used the bunnies in her "Rabbit Production and Slaughter" class, which studies ways of raising rabbits for their meat.

In a Diamondback story written last fall, Kern said her students were taught to slaughter the rabbits by severing each bunnie's spinal cord. "In many cases, the students had never seen an animal slaughtered."

The bunnies are now "free forever from the sins of Dr. Dona Kern," the spokesman said. "The rabbits are gone...very far away."

When asked where the escapees were being held, the spokesman refused to be specific, saying only that "the rabbits are now in prearranged responsible homes, forever safe from the butcher's knife."

The band placed plastic Easter eggs in each bunny's cage to remind university officials and students that the furry creatures were created to be cuddled, not eaten, said the spokesman, who declined to be identified.

Each egg contained a quote from such eminent philosophers as Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Schweitzer defending the right of animals, the spokesman explained.

"Maryland tax dollars are being used to violate our religious beliefs," the spokesman added. "Our tax money is going to support the American Rabbit Breeders Association's (ARBA) projects." The Band of Mercy claims that Kern is closely involved with ARBA.

"The ARBA plans to use courses such as that offered by the University of Maryland to hasten the day when 'bunny burgers' are popular on the American fast-food menus," the spokesman contended.

But Sandy Owens, an agricultural technician in the animal science department, said the bunnies would probably not survive in a natural environment. "If the Band of Mercy toke and let the rabbits loose, they won't survive," she said.

"Wild rabbits tend to know who their enemies are, but domestic rabbits don't know who to fear," she added.

The spokesman said the rabbits will never be released into the wild.

Students involved in the class were more blatant in their criticism of the group's action. "I think the band acted like 12 year olds," said Beth Terry, a senior animal science major. "They were more cruel than we were."

When bunnies are killed in the class, students are taught to press their thumbs into the back of the rabbit's spine to kill the creature as humanely as possible, according to Edgar Young, animal science department chairman. "If slaughter can be humane, this is the most humane way to do it," he added.