Wildfire rabbit rescue: 'I knew it was dangerous but I couldn't leave the poor rabbits to burn!'

Oscar Gonzalez was filmed trying to save the rabbit from the fire. Photo / via video

The mystery animal lover who was filmed frantically trying to rescue a rabbit from the California wildfires spoke out on Friday to dismiss experts' criticism of his act and insist that he saved the creature's entire 'family'.

Father-of-one Oscar Gonzalez, 19, is the man who was hailed a "hero" after being seen in a viral video jumping up and down in desperation as the rabbit bounded along Highway 1 in La Conchita while the flames of the Thomas Fire engulfed it on Wednesday night.

Gonzalez, who works for a commercial refrigerator installer, lives in Pacoima with his fiancée and their five-month-old daughter. Their home was not affected and they have not been told to evacuate.

Gonzalez chased the rabbit to the edge of the flames. Photo / via video

On Wednesday, he was driving a friend home from work in Sylmar when he said he saw the white rabbit running along the side of the highway as the flames raged next to it.

"I have animals myself I didn't want the poor rabbit to get hurt.

"I knew it was dangerous but I couldn't leave them to burn!" he told DailyMail.com on Friday.

The animal was filmed running away from him as he yelled out "what are you doing!?"

Gonzalez said it then hopped straight into his arms and allowed him to carry it to the other side of the highway where there were no flames.

Despite an outpouring of praise for him on social media, wildlife experts condemned the act and said he likely separated the rabbit from a litter of young.

But on Friday, Gonzalez insisted this was not the case and that he in fact saved the whole "rabbit family".

The procession he described was not caught on video.

Man pulls over near La Conchita to save wild rabbit's life amid intense flames from the #ThomasFire https://t.co/e5UaqjzMhy pic.twitter.com/Qlk6oYWLs2

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 7, 2017

"I saw two other rabbits with it. I thought to myself it was the rabbit's family.

"The rabbit's family probably thought I was gonna hurt it [but] when I picked up the rabbit, they followed," he said.

Gonzalez then took it to the other side of the highway and set it free again before getting back in his car.

"I quickly picked the rabbit up and walked to the other side where there wasn't fire," he said.

The teenager works for Anthony's, a Sylmar-based company which produces and installs the large refrigerator doors used in stores like Costco.

He said the ordeal was frightening and that he could feel the heat of the flames on his face as he tried to coax the rabbit into his arms.

"The flames were so close," he said.

Gonzalez said he saved a 'rabbit family'. Photo / via Facebook

Many celebrated his efforts but wildlife experts were not among them.

They said Gonzalez put himself and others at great risk by walking towards the fire and that the rabbit, as a wild animal, knew instinctively how to survive without his intervening.

Rabbits are among the wild animals which are most likely to survive wildfires because they normally burrow from the flames.

Desert cottontail rabbits, which are common in Southern in California, typically give birth to young around this time of year.

Gonzalez pictured with his fiancee and their five-month-old daughter. Photo / via Facebook

Since the fires took hold earlier this week, experts have warned residents not to get in the way of any wild animals in the area.

"If you encounter a wild animal in your neighborhood, leave it alone.

"Fire or no fire, just let the animals be. Fire is something animals have to deal with constantly," California Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Peter Tira told San Francisco Gate.

He made the comments in October when the area was being ravaged by similar fires.

Among those who praised Gonzalez before he was identified was Ellen DeGeneres.

"To everyone who, in the chaos of these fires, is taking time to look out for animals, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," she said on Instagram along with a link to the video.

While Gonzalez's home is not in the fires' path, 230,000 people have fled their houses in the region.

There are now six fires burning in the region with no near end to the chaos in sight.