Rabbit rescue society warns Vancouver's feral population is about to boom, unless the city steps in
Cities across B.C.’s Lower Mainland should be putting plans in place to prevent feral rabbit populations from exploding, one animal rescue society warns.
During a Vancouver city council meeting Tuesday, Rabbitats Rescue Society raised alarm over recent data showing a substantial increase in domestic European rabbits appearing across the region.
“The society is also fielding a record number of calls from guardians wanting to surrender their rabbits,” reads a statement by the group.
“Vancouver, with the exception of Jericho Beach, has been feral rabbit free. This will soon end,” it warned.
Sorelle Saidman, Rabbitats' founder, says the rabbit landscape is changing across the Lower Mainland due to a combination of people abandoning pandemic-era pets, 2023 being the Year of the Rabbit, and Easter bunny-buying trends.
“Three unpaid rabbit rescues have kept the rest of Vancouver feral rabbit-free over the last decade by responding to abandoned rabbit reports and accepting surrenders,” Saidman said, adding that one of those rescue groups has closed and the remaining two are at capacity.
What’s more, Saidman said the BC SPCA and Vancouver Animal Services do not pick up stray rabbits, and rarely have the capacity to accept surrenders.
“We believe prevention is the best and cheapest method of European rabbit control,” Saidman said in a statement. “The city has to be prepared to take any rabbits out of the environment before they have a chance to breed.”
Under the BC Wildlife Act, non-native European rabbits that are living in the wild as abandoned pets are classified as feral—meaning the species can be killed, hunted or trapped without a permit.
The BC SPCA said in a position statement that it does not support the lethal control of abandoned, domestic rabbits.
Instead, the agency is in favour of “activities that aim to humanely trap, sterilize, and re-home adoptable rabbits in approved homes or sanctuaries that can provide for their needs for the remainder of their lives.”
In its presentation, Rabbitats pointed to the high costs B.C. cities have faced in order to control rabbit populations and deal with the damage the animals cause to “grounds, plants, trees and structures.”
“One business alone, the Richmond Auto Mall, estimated their landscaping damage from loose domestic rabbits in 2011 at $25,000,” the presentation reads.
In Delta, where the stray population ballooned last year, the city ended up paying nearly half a million dollars in damages, even after Rabbitats says the city addressed the problem early.
The society made several suggestions as to how the city could address the imminent problem, warning that it will either require “a small investment now or a very large investment later.”
Other suggestions included conducting a study to determine just how many rabbits have been taken or surrendered from private or public property in Vancouver in recent years, as well as an internal assessment of the city’s current rabbit control.
Finally, Rabbitats wants to see the city co-ordinate its approach with municipal and provincial partners, as well as animal welfare and environmental NGOs, businesses and other property stakeholders.
However, the group warns in its presentation that “the rabbits are not going to wait for the politics to get sorted out.”
In the meantime, Rabbitats is hosting an Easter BunnyFest on April 1 at the Scottish Cultural Centre in South Vancouver, where the group will offer families an opportunity to interact with real bunnies without purchasing one, all while raising awareness of the pending rabbit problem.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Toronto Maple Leafs fire head coach Sheldon Keefe
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Torchbearers in Marseille kick off the Olympic flame's journey across France
Torchbearers carried the Olympic flame through the streets of France's southern port city of Marseille on Thursday, a day after it arrived on a majestic three-mast ship for a welcoming ceremony.
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Court to hear about search for remains as Winnipeg murder trial enters second day
A courtroom in Winnipeg is expected to hear testimony today about the search for the remains of the four victims of Jeremy Skibicki.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.