Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters

Feral rabbit population explodes in Nanaimo

By The Daily News (Nanaimo) February 21, 2009  

Rabbits are literally running wild in Nanaimo, with nothing to keep their population in check. Feral rabbits -- domestic animals that have escaped or been abandoned -- can be seen by the dozens in areas like East Wellington Road, the Vancouver Island University campus and along Lantzville Road. While the cute critters seem harmless -- people can often be seen feeding them beside the road -- the exploding population could pose problems. In other parts of B.C. and the world, rabbit populations are responsible for significant ecological damage and agricultural losses.

Feral rabbits can destroy infrastructure and gardens and chew through cables. Conservation officer Ron Heusen has dealt with several Nanaimo home and business owners who want to know how to get rid of the pesky animals.

Although rabbits can carry diseases, humans pose more of a danger to rabbits than the other way around, said Dr. Craig Stephen of the Center For Coastal Health. He warns people not to approach the bunnies to avoid scratches or bites. But more than anything, Stephen condemns feeding the rabbits. It may seem harmless, said Stephen, but unnatural feeding grounds are a breeding zone for diseases that can be easily spread within the species. Leftover food can also attract rats and other scavengers.

An exploding rabbit population in Kelowna prompted the community's city council to contract a company to eliminate them in 2008.

The University of Victoria also launched a public awareness campaign in September to warn the community about the hazards of the cute bunnies, which had overpopulated their campus.

Rabbits are not native to Vancouver Island, which means rabbit owners are to blame for discarding their unwanted pets into the community and introducing the species somewhere they weren't meant to be. "Mother nature didn't put them here for a reason," said Heusen of the destructive animals.

While it is already an provincial offence to abandon an animals in distress, the University of Victoria wants tougher penalties for pet-abandonment bylaws.

While rabbits are unwelcome residents in other communities, they seem to be causing few problems in Nanaimo, so far. Toni O'Keefe, spokeswoman for Vancouver Island University, said there are "lots of rabbits on campus out bouncing around, but they are not a problem for us." O'Keefe views them as just a part of campus life. "They are a real draw for our international students," she said. That benign view may not continue, however.

Stephen said when it comes to rabbit control people should turn to Nanaimo's city planning department.

"It would be a major job, but best dealt with sooner rather than later," said Stephen. "Look at the American Bullfrog that has taken over Vancouver Island. It would have been much easier to deal with them when there were only two."