South Florida residents have a hare-raising problem in their community.
A bunny breeder based in Fort Lauderdale illegally let loose a thriving group of domesticated rabbits on the streets, leaving neighbors to deal with the problem.
“One of the neighbors moved a couple of years ago, and she just left her rabbits in the street when she moved,” Alicia Griggs, local rabbit supporter, told the Associated Press. “They were not spayed or neutered, so they started multiplying.”
Between 60 and 100 lion head rabbits have made new homes in the backyards of houses located in Wilton Manors, a suburb of the coastal metro area.
Starting at just 3 months old, the female rabbits birth litters of two-to-six offspring every month.
The bunnies sport a wool mane encircling the head, similar to that of a lion’s mane — hence their name.
Their thick fur and daring nature aren’t the best fit for outdoor life in the Sunshine State, thanks to hot temperatures and predators.
“They’re not supposed to be in the heat because they could have a heat stroke when the temperatures get above 85 and there’s predators all around that can kill them. And we’ve found dead rabbits all over the place,” Griggs shared.
Some residents of Jenada Isles, an 81-home community in Wilton Manors, find that having the bunnies around brings a sense of joy to the neighborhood.
One resident, Gator Carter, puts out food for the lionheads and his two young grandchildren enjoy feeding rabbits to the animals.
“People drive by, stop, love ’em, feed ’em,” Carter said. “They don’t bother me. We have a couple Airbnbs on the island here and the people (guests) are just amazed that the rabbits come right up to them.”
Having bunnies hopping around the neighborhood might be a cute addition for some, but it’s also been an annoyance to others.
“Every morning, first thing I do is get up and cover up the holes and chase them out of the backyard too. I like them, but I just wish they would go somewhere else,” local resident Jon King said. “Rescue would be great.”
King said the hares dig holes in his yards and leave bunny droppings on sidewalks and driveways. He shared he had to spend $200 to repair his outdoor lights after the rabbits chewed on the wiring.
The rabbit repeller didn’t work for King, and his little dog doesn’t scare them either. In fact, King’s dog “is their best friend.”
The best chance of survival for these domesticated rabbits would be moving them to where they belong — inside homes, away from all possible dangers.
The City of Wilton Manors initially said the rabbits would need to be exterminated, but backtracked and agreed to allow residents some time to raise money in order to rescue the lionheads and get them into homes.
“The safety of this rabbit population is of utmost importance to the City, and any decision to involve ourselves will be certain to see these rabbits placed into the hands of people with a passion to provide the necessary care and love for these rabbits,” Police Chief Gary Blocker said in a statement.
“They really need to be rescued. So we’ve tried to get the city to do it, but they’re just dragging their feet,” Griggs said. “They think that if they do that, then they’ll have to get rid of iguanas and everything else that people don’t want around.”
Griggs is initiating the push to raise $20,000 to $40,000, which would cover the costs to capture, neuter, vaccinate, shelter and give away the growing group of bunnies, which “is not an easy process,” according to Monica Mitchell, whose East Coast Rabbit Rescue would likely lead the effort.
Mitchell shared that very few veterinarians actually treat rabbits, and people interested in owning them tend to back out once they find out how much work these animals are.
“People don’t realize they’re exotic pets and they’re complicated. They have a complicated digestive system and they have to eat a special diet,” Griggs admitted. “You can’t just throw any table scraps at them.”
