http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-41881-1-.htm#41881

Rabbit hunters lose weapon
by Wayne Moore - Story: 41881
Sep 18, 2008 / 2:00 pm

The report of a gun caught the attention of Kelowna RCMP Thursday afternoon.

Witnesses along Enterprise Way in front of the former Western Star building contacted police after seeing two men lurking around the area with what appeared to be a handgun.

They feared the men were trying to kill rabbits in the area.

Police confiscated the weapon, which turned out to be a soft-shell pellet gun.

RCMP officers on the scene say the men claimed they were just hoping to bring a rabbit home as a pet, not kill them.

The men were sent away, minus the pellet gun.

RCMP Constable, Steve Holmes, says police have had reports of people attacking rabbits in the same general area with sticks and baseball bats, but this is the first time he has heard of a gun being used.

EBB Environmental Consulting, hired by the City of Kelowna to get rid of approximately 2,000 feral rabbits with the city, has begun culling the animals.

A retired RCMP officer has been hired to shoot some of the rabbits.

The work is being done at night.