Art was out for an early morning jog and was startled to see rabbits in someone's driveway.
I think rabbits are as cute as can be, but I also know how FAST they multiply and the damage that can cause also if unchecked.
We had the normal amount of bunnies in Illinois and then the West Nile disease killed off most of the large predatory birds.
Suddenly, the rabbit population exploded.
I didn't think we had wild rabbits in Hawaii.
Yes, I did have a pet rabbit when I was in college but had to leave him with my parents when we moved to Illinois.
I kept him on a leash when I walked him on campus.
My parents built a cage for him outside the house.
We do have Rabbit Island near Oahu.
I got this from Wikipedia:
I just hope those rabbits that Art saw were not feral like our cats and chickens.
I think rabbits are as cute as can be, but I also know how FAST they multiply and the damage that can cause also if unchecked.
We had the normal amount of bunnies in Illinois and then the West Nile disease killed off most of the large predatory birds.
Suddenly, the rabbit population exploded.
I didn't think we had wild rabbits in Hawaii.
Yes, I did have a pet rabbit when I was in college but had to leave him with my parents when we moved to Illinois.
I kept him on a leash when I walked him on campus.
My parents built a cage for him outside the house.
We do have Rabbit Island near Oahu.
I got this from Wikipedia:
Mānana Island is an uninhabited islet located 0.75 mi (1.21 km) off Kaupō Beach, near Makapuʻu at the eastern end of the Island of Oʻahu in the Hawaiian Islands. In the Hawaiian language, mānana means "buoyant".The islet is commonly referred to as Rabbit Island, because its shape as seen from the nearby Oʻahu shore looks something like a rabbit's head and because it was once inhabited by introduced rabbits. The rabbit colony was established by John Adams Cummins in the 1880s when he ran the Waimānalo plantation. The rabbits were eradicated about a hundred years later because they were destroying the native ecosystem, an important seabird breeding area.Anytime non-indigenous wildlife is introduced onto our ecosystem, bad things can happen. Think biting mosquitoes. Think mynah birds. Think mongoose. The list goes on and on.
I just hope those rabbits that Art saw were not feral like our cats and chickens.
The island does look like a rabbit's head. Strange habit of humans -- going to a new place and thinking "this would be such a wonderful place to live if only it were more like what I left back home. Let's go get those plants and animals and bring them here." The result is inevitably displacing the native plants and animals. And let's not even get into displacing the native people.
ReplyDeleteDon't become another Australia when it comes to rabbits -- at least I assume they are still a problem.
ReplyDeleteImportant and interesting post, Kay!
ReplyDeleteInteresting Kay.
ReplyDeleteIt's a disaster when species are introduced. I hope that's not the case there! We have such a good balance around here. In our little forest, here!
ReplyDeleteWe all know the terrible history of rabbits in Australia. Right now a big bunny is snoozing in my back yard but they are legit natural bunnies.
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you had a pet rabbit that you could take for a walk!
ReplyDeleteLangley on Whidbey Island is know now for it's feral rabbit population. It doesn't take many escapees to start a problem.
Those rabbits in Art's pic seem to be pets, maybe? At least the wild bunnies around here, are mostly boring brown. Think I'd like rabbits more than the feral roosters/chickens on Kauai. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI see a few every now and then, but they're very people-phobic.
ReplyDeleteKind of like the pythons in Florida. Pets that escaped or got loose. We can't introduce a creature to an area that has no natural predator. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't have a rabbit problem there. I saw bunny crossing the road the other day and hoped it would hop into a safe place! Happy Easter, Kay! :-)
ReplyDeleteFunny! The first beings I saw when I got off the plane in Maui were chickens!!!
ReplyDeleteRabbits, chickens, whatever. Hawaii is paradise!
I hope the rabbits Art saw are pets and they are harmless. I hear you and completely understand your concerns though.
ReplyDeleteI had a pet rabbit growing up. His name was Oswald. Or, was it the pet rooster named Oswald? Oh well, so much for that.
I hope you have a wonderful Easter Sunday!
we have wild rabbits around us too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a disaster to have wild rabbits on the islands of Hawaii. Wonder what their main predators might be?
ReplyDeleteSigh... That’s the problem.
ReplyDeleteGosh, and they breed so fast.
ReplyDelete