Residents race to rescue rabbits after Florida officials vote to exterminate

KARAH RUCKER: A FORT LAUDERDALE SUBURB IS BEING INVADED BY DOZENS OF DOMESTICATED RABBITS. AND THEY’RE MULTIPLYING. 

JENADA ISLES, AN 81-HOME COMMUNITY IN WILTON MANORS, HAS BECOME OVERRUN WITH BUNNIES. IT ALL STARTED TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN A BACKYARD BREEDER MOVED AWAY AND RELEASED HER LIONHEAD RABBITS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE INCREASED IN NUMBERS AND ARE NOW FACING POSSIBLE EXTERMINATION. 

BACK IN APRIL, WILTON MANORS CITY COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO EXTERMINATE THE RABBITS AFTER RECEIVING AN 8-THOUSAND DOLLAR ESTIMATE FROM A TRAPPING COMPANY. THE VOTE CAME AFTER SOME RESIDENTS COMPLAINED THE LIONHEADS DIG HOLES, CHEW OUTDOOR WIRING AND LEAVE DROPPINGS ON SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS. CITY COMMISSIONERS ALSO FEARED THE RABBITS COULD SPREAD INTO NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES AND BECOME A TRAFFIC HAZARD.

TRAFFIC IS ONE CONCERN FOR PRO-BUNNY RESIDENTS AS WELL. THEY SAY CARS, CATS, HAWKS AND FLORIDA HEAT ARE ALL DANGERS THE RABBITS ARE FACING. 

SO THEY ARE RUSHING AGAINST THE CLOCK TO RAISE 20-40-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CAPTURE, NEUTER, VACCINATE AND RELOCATE THEM. 

SUPPORTERS SAY THEY HAVE ASKED THE CITY FOR HELP, BUT BELIEVE OFFICIALS ARE RELUCTANT TO GET INVOLVED IN RESCUE EFFORTS BECAUSE, IF THEY DID, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH OTHER INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE AREA LIKE IGUANAS. 

THE IGUANAS, WHICH WERE ALSO ILLEGALLY TURNED LOOSE, ARE OVERRUNNING COMMUNITIES AND DESTROYING GARDENS. 

BUT UNLIKE IGUANAS, FLORIDA’S ENVIRONMENT IS NOT FRIENDLY TO LIONHEADS. THEIR HEAVY COAT MAKES THEM OVERHEAT DURING FLORIDA SUMMERS AND THEIR LACK OF FEAR MAKES THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO PREDATORS. THIS MEANS THEIR LIVES ARE SHORTER IN THE WILD. BUT THE WILTON MANORS COLONY SURVIVES AND GROWS BECAUSE FEMALES BIRTH 2-6 BABIES EVERY MONTH, STARTING WHEN THEY ARE JUST THREE MONTHS OLD. 

THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION, WHICH OFTEN CULLS INVASIVE ANIMALS, HAS TOLD THE CITY IT  WILL NOT INTERCEDE SINCE THE RABBITS POSE NO THREAT TO WILDLIFE. AND WILTON MANORS HAS AGREED TO ALLOW SUPPORTERS TO TRY TO RAISE THE MONEY NEEDED FOR RELOCATION, BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE EXTERMINATION.