We routinely are greeted with environmental news that feels like the apocalypse coming. Sometimes it is nice to have a feel good story about everyone's favorite furry creature, the bunny rabbit. My girlfriend works on this project and I just had to share the story, after all, it made it in to about 50 papers last weekend.
Here in California the riparian brush rabbit is near extinction. Only about 2% of their habitat remains and only two very small colonies are known to exist period. Needless to say, they are on the endangered species list and are believed to be California's most endangered mammal. A unique group called the Endangered Species Recovery Program (ESRP) has been formed and works with the cooperation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, California State University, Stanislaus, UC Davis, and the California Departments of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Game, and Water Resources to breed the rabbits. Their goals are to establish 3 self-sustaining populations in the central valley and de-list the species.
Every year they capture several breeder rabbits from different areas and bring them to an undisclosed location, where they live in bunny heaven for most of the year. Six or so breeders could produce 65 or 80 rabbits a year later. Then once suitable habitat is located within the historic range, biologists release thirty or so healthy rabbits into the wild, complete with radio tracking collars. Late last week and this weekend several dignitaries and reporters
released the furry creatures into the wild.
VERNALIS, Calif. -- A canvas sack was rolled back to reveal a tiny, quivering rabbit that blinked twice in the daylight, then bolted into a tangle of blackberry bushes.
"It's like being plunked down in a big city you've never seen before," said wildlife biologist Laurissa Hamilton as she released the riparian brush rabbit into dense vegetation alongside the San Joaquin River.
The one-pound animal was one of seven released onto privately owned Faith Ranch Friday as part of a five year, $2.6 million effort to restore one of the state's most endangered mammals. About nine rabbits, smaller than the dwarf rabbits commonly kept as pets, were returned to the wild on Thursday.
The rabbits by and large are doing well. The team is tracking their survival and movements at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. Since very little riparian habitat remains, it takes some work to find a suitable place to release each year's new population. This year the Gallo family (of the winery), allowed the biologists access to their land to establish a second population of riparian brush rabbits. The survival of rabbits at this site will be monitored, as well.
The biologists were up at 4 am this morning, setting the traps in such lovely places as rose and blackberry bushes to capture this years breeders. The traps are baited with molasses soaked oats. The team will weigh and measure any captured rabbits and draw blood as part of health exams. If any individuals are found to be sick or injured they will be taken to specialists two hours away for treatment. Right now they have a poor little bunny with a bunch of metal in his foot. They suspect someone shot at him. Any sick rabbit stays at one of the biologists' homes, in the luxury hotel know as a cat carrier. If all goes well, their jobs soon will be unnecessary and the riparian brush rabbit.
For more information on the ripirian brush rabbit go here.
The ESRP website is here.
And here is the press release from the release.
P.S. If anyone has any questions about the project my GF has offered to answer them through me. I haven't quite convinced her to get her own SN yet. Be nice, I told her how great you all are ;)