Calgary Sun

Thu, June 28, 2007
Bunnies get reprieve in Canmore
UPDATED: 2007-06-28 15:58:42 MST

Abundant critters spared euthanasia

By NADIA MOHARIB, SUN MEDIA

Canmore residents are pretty much split down the middle on what to do with an annoying abundance of bunnies in town.

And fortunately, for the rabbits, it looks like no drastic action will be taken to deal with the hare-raising experience plaguing the mountain community.

Sally Caudill, the town's communications and environmental care coordinator, said there is no formal council direction on the issue.

"At this point, aside from making sure our own facilities are rabbit proof we won't do anything else," she said today. "That's good news for the rabbits. "Some residents feel we should let the rabbits be and they'll be very happy."

The live-and-let-live attitude comes after council received results of a town-wide survey done earlier this year on how to deal with the exploding rabbit population. Out of the respondents, 121 backed euthanasia while 126 did not.

At a Tuesday meeting of the council's committee of the whole it was agreed to try to give residents the latest greatest tips on how to best and most humanly deal with the nasty bunnies.

Caudill said while there is "no rabbit expert on staff," town officials have researched the issue and can offer information to help residents try to keep the critters out of their gardens and lawns.

The town will also set an example by bunny-proofing its properties. "The town should at least get its house in order," she said. "What I think will happen in the 2008 budget is we will try to make sure our facilities are rabbit-proof." "If residents feel like they need information we will try to work with them."

While town officials have never done a so-called rabbit count some estimate there are about 1,000 in the town.

The plague began about 15 years ago when a few domestic pets were set free and left to breed with the locals.

The subsequent explosion in their population led some to put barriers like chicken wire around gardens while scarecrow sprinklers - which work on motion detectors and spray water to scare off approaching rabbits - are being tested in parts of town.

Besides taking a toll on the foliage the rabbits attract predators like coyotes and foxes in to the town, located 90 km west of Calgary.