No more bunnies: Humane Society says it can’t handle onslaught of free-roaming rabbits
The Idaho Humane Society is overrun with rabbits.
The organization said it will no longer accept free-roaming rabbits into its care starting Tuesday. The number of rabbits brought to the Humane Society has rapidly increased recently, and even with caps in place limiting the number of rabbits each person could bring in, the influx became unsustainable, the organization said in a Facebook post.
“The number of rabbits entering our care has far exceeded the number we are able to humanely house and place in homes, creating an ongoing imbalance that is not sustainable given their population dynamics,” the post said. “Continuing to maintain this imbalance does not ultimately serve a humane purpose.”
Earlier this year, the Humane Society said no person could bring in more than three rabbits per week. Then, it lowered that number to one per week.
The organization will still accept pet rabbits that are surrendered by their owners.
The Boise area is one of many communities across the country where pet rabbits “have become naturalized into urban and suburban environments,” the organization said. Free-roaming rabbit populations are now established throughout the area.
On the Bench, people often refer to the free-roaming rabbits as “Bench bunnies.” The bunnies have been in the area for decades, according to previous Statesman reporting, after pet rabbits were at some point released into the wild. Rabbits breed quickly, and the Bench is no longer frequented by some natural rabbit predators, which has allowed their populations to grow, the Statesman reported.
Rabbit intake increases by 68%
The Idaho Humane Society has accepted about 68% more rabbits this year compared to the same time period last year, spokesperson Kristine Schellhaas said in an email.
Schellhaas said that the organization was on track to have more than 1,000 free-roaming rabbit intakes this year, which represents about 10% of its total intake. It has 58 rabbits in its care, and most are in its foster program, she said.
In the past, the Humane Society has spayed or neutered the free-roaming rabbits it receives and then put them back outside “to prevent overpopulation.” In a post on its website, the Humane Society said free-roaming rabbits that are used to living outdoors don’t often adapt well to being pets.
“Free-roaming rabbits are generally not adoptable rabbits,” Schellhaas said in an email.
If people see a free-roaming rabbit, the organization recommends they let the animals be.
“We encourage community members to coexist with these rabbits as part of the local ecosystem and to use fencing or other barriers to help keep rabbits out of gardens and other unwanted areas,” it said on its website.
For people who want rabbits to stay away from their property, the Humane Society suggested removing food and water sources, reducing shelter possibilities and taking advantage of rabbit-resistant plants, such as lavender, rosemary or marigolds. People shouldn’t use poisons, which could hurt other wildlife, pets and kids.
