If you’ve noticed more bunnies in your yard this spring and
summer, you’re not alone. Powt Chawlotte is ovewwun with wascawy wabbits. Where’s
Elmer Fudd when you need him?
We're in a Beatrix Potter storyland, herds
of bunnies hopping about where there were none a year ago. I know the family of
four living under our hibiscus bush so intimately that I’ve named them Flopsy,
Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. Our dogs now ignore them, considering them
slow-moving lawn ornaments. I may sew them little outfits. God knows, they freeze
for long enough that I’d have no trouble dressing them.
Why so many rabbits this year?
Here’s what we know: They are Eastern cottontails, because of
their telltale white tails. We also know that they breed like, um, rabbits—year
round, with each female bearing as many as 50 kittens (baby bunnies) annually. Their
survival rate this year has apparently been mind-boggling.
Rehabilitation specialist Amy Rhoads, at Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda, theorized
that, because the food supply is unchanged, the level of predation in our area
must be down. More bobcats hit by cars, fewer hawks, less breeding among feral
cats, that sort of thing. She suggested I call Florida Fish and Wildlife, who
immediately forwarded me to an emergency field agent because they thought I
said, “More rabid.”
“No, no. More rabbits.
Bunny rabbits,” I explained.
“Oh, we don’t handle rabbits.”
“But they’re wildlife,” I reasoned.
That went nowhere. “You want the Florida Department of
Agriculture,” the agent suggested.
The lady at FDA sympathized, but said things could be worse.
We could have bears ravaging our garbage cans, like she does. She recommended the local Extension Service.
Charlotte County Extension Service horticulturist Tom Becker
said that he and Director Ralph Mitchell had been discussing the bunny situation
that very day, before setting out a trial bed of caladium—luckily for them, not
a bunny delicacy. Tom’s hypothesis on the matter: The early growth of
underbrush this spring, in combination with lower levels of predation, has
protected more young bunnies. But he was
intrigued enough to ask where we live and pass the information along to the
master biologist.
Meanwhile, I guess we can live with them. They don’t eat
much. And they’re cute.
From Morticia, hilarious as usual: Hey, don't look at me. You won't get any help here. I'm just glad it isn't me!!!!!! We have a few bunnies but not hundreds. I'm really relieved to hear that there are less feral cats there and that the girls are not bunny-killers. There is nothing very lady-like about that. Flesh-eating, bloody-faced Doxies wearing rhinestone collars. Not a good look.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get any help from local wild-life agencies around here for anything you call them about. Apparently they don't mess with actual animals of any kind. They just draw paychecks for not dealing with them. I'm not sure what they actually do but I'm certain it has nothing to do with animals.
I love bunnies but I also love squirrels too and we have a bumper crop of the latter. We have done some research on squirrel mating after having witnessed some actual episodes of this ourselves. They are not modest but thank God they are not bunnies!! They can mate twice a year but don't have humongous litters. We have seen some moms with 4 babies. We have so many baby squirrels that we are going to have to build them a feeding box. We still have plenty of pregnant mommies-to-be too. One we have nick-named Wide-Glide as she is as wide as she is tall. She comes often and stuffs her face and gut. The rodents are up to eating three corn cobs a day now plus sunflower seeds. When they are out of food the tiniest ones sit on the air conditioner and stare in the window with their needy-beady eyes and their little jaws quivering. Who could ignore that?????? My mother instinct kicks into high gear and I brave the elements to fill tiny bellies. I thought my hubby might be more sensible but this apparently triggers his mothering and/or fathering instinct too. All I have to say is, "Look! The little Cornie is out of food" and off he sprints to replace the stash. I figure soon it will cost more to feed them than us.
Feeling any desire to put out some lettuce and carrot scraps yet or is this already a done-deal?
We have loads of bunnies here in southern Arizona. Drives my dog nuts. But I am more concerned with the snakes and rats that we also have so I would wather have the wascally wabbits than the wattlers.
ReplyDelete