Lionhead rabbits – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by haya.pictura
People in Florida now have to contend with lionhead rabbits, another type of invasive animal, as if dealing with snakes and pythons wasn’t bad enough. Fortunately, these creatures are less harmful, but they are still disruptive enough that locals are looking for a solution to move them.
The Associated Press claimed that up to 60 to 100 rabbits had infested yards in Jenada Isles, an 81-home neighborhood in Wilton Manors, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The rabbits are descended from a bunch that a backyard breeder unlawfully released when she moved away two years ago, according to the AP. The bunnies are distinguished by their flowing manes around their heads, thick hair, and fearlessness.
Since they are a domesticated breed, they perform best indoors, away from heat, automobiles, cats, and hawks. They reproduce fairly quickly, with females beginning to give birth to litters of two to six young every month when they are approximately three months old.
“They must be saved immediately. We have thus attempted to get the city to act, but they keep delaying us, said Alicia Griggs, a resident of Jenada Isles, to the AP. They believe that if they do that, they will have to remove iguanas and other unwanted animals from the area.
To form a rescue organization that would work to capture, spay, vaccinate, house, and eventually distribute the lionhead rabbits, Griggs is spearheading attempts to fund $20,000 to $40,000.
“People are unaware that they are complex exotic pets. They require a specific diet and have a difficult digestive system, Griggs continued. “You can not just sling them any table scraps,”
It “is not an easy process,” according to Monica Mitchell of East Coast Rabbit Rescue, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing bunnies, to capture, treat, and find homes for the lionheads. She said that few veterinarians care for rabbits, and many would-be adopters are reluctant to do so once they learn how much maintenance the creatures want.
The city commission had intended to eradicate the species after some locals complained that they were a nuisance, but they have now given Griggs and other supporters time to raise funds and relocate the bunnies. Lionheads have been reported to dig holes, damage outdoor wire, and deposit droppings on roads and sidewalks, according to locals. Additionally, city commissioners were concerned that if the bunnies walked onto busy streets, they may spread to nearby towns and cities and cause traffic problems.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which frequently exterminates invasive species like Burmese pythons, has stated that it will not get involved because the rabbits do not now constitute a threat to wildlife.
However, lionheads do not thrive in Florida’s environment. Their lives outdoors are brutally short, the AP observed, instead of up to 7 to 9 years. In Florida summers, their thick coats cause them to sweat, and their lack of bravery leaves them vulnerable to predators. They require owners since they cannot survive on grass or other plants and because of the special illnesses they suffer from.
Domesticated rabbits cannot survive on their own, according to Eric Stewart, executive director of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, who also advocated for legal action against the breeder who released them—a course of action the city has not taken.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
