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Bunny boom in BC
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by Martha Jones | December 7, 2007 at 09:51 am
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If you visit the Okanagan you might be forgiven for doing a double take at seeing hundreds of these furry creatures bouncing about town.
In Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon, bunnies are everywhere, grazing along the side of major highways, hopping down city streets and just passing the time on neighbourhood lawns.The problem is at its worst in residential north Kelowna, where the
furry creatures are digging up the grass and eating trees in George
Keim's front yard.Keim told CBC News that he lived in his house for 13 years without a
rabbit problem, then "all of a sudden, one year, bang! We've got
rabbits!"The problem got so bad last year, there were between 40 and 60 rabbits in his yard on any given day, Keim said.
The problem is apparently made worse by people dropping off their unwanted domestic rabbits - and now residents want the municipal government to do something about it. One breeder, Roxane Woldenga, says it should be a matter of "rabbit relocation".
She said the bunnies should be rounded up, separated by gender and then
relocated to live out the rest of their lives, without the opportunity
to reproduce.
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Alfred Hermida
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Martha Jones
British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 11:28 on December 7th, 2007
In La Vista, Nebraska we just had our first snow fall and now you can easily spot bunny tracks. There are lots of open fields so I guess thats the ideal ground for them.
Just a month back we decided to get ourselves a bunny. You can see him in this picture. He is intelligent, clean and fun to be with. I am very happy that Snow has come to our home and become such a important family member.
at 13:41 on December 7th, 2007
On some days, this rabbit on the territory of my job. Here he sits from sunrise to sunset. He know that no one annoys him here. The area is fenced, so no dogs could come. At a distance of 3 meters, I have gone to him. Nearer I wanted. I would not sell him.
at 15:58 on December 7th, 2007
Even Vancouver is beset by bunnies... in the parking area/park of the yacht club and beaches at Point Grey, there can be found hundreds of the little nose-wigglers, and it drives the local dogs nuts. In a good way for the dogs, but I'm sure the rabbits would complain about the games of chase if they could.
Are there risks to this kind of over-abundance, Martha? What if any diseases or 'bugs' are known to be carried by them? Is it just physical damage to lawns that we should be concerned with?
at 16:44 on December 7th, 2007
Yes - I love watching the Point Grey bunnies until they get chased away by the dogs in hunting mode.
I think the concerns are two-fold - partly that the lawns will be damaged but more that there's a risk of disease being spread through their droppings. Having said all that, no council is going to want to be seen as bunny killers, so it's a bit of a problem when the rabbits keep breeding like, well, rabbits.
at 10:08 on December 11th, 2007
This photo was taken at Macquarie University in Sydney. It's a feral rabbit, considered to be a pest, and we have many of them currently living on campus.