Bunny lovers freeing rabbits from traps
By Ron Seymour , Kelowna Daily Courier
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Trapped rabbits are being freed from their cages by people opposed to the city‘s eradication campaign, council heard on Monday.
And some property owners are refusing to let the traps be set up on their land.
Such people are “interfering” with the efforts of a city-hired contractor to reduce the number of wild rabbits, pest control supervisor Ian Wilson told council.
Nevertheless, the program is achieving results, with only an estimated 100-150 rabbits remaining from a peak population count last fall of more than 1,000.
Virtually all of the rabbits have been killed, though a few dozen have been placed with animal protection groups opposed to the cull.
EBB Environmental Consulting Ltd., which won a $54,000 contract to deal with the rabbits last year, only has enough money remaining in its budget to keep up the trapping-and-killing for a few more weeks.
To round up and dispatch the rest of the rabbits might cost another $17,000, according to estimates provided to the city by EBB.
Some animal-rights groups have offered to accept more of the trapped rabbits, if the city provides money for their care and feeding.
Council took no action on Monday, deciding to let the contract with EBB run its course and then revisit the issue in a few weeks.
Coun. Graeme James introduced a motion allowing EBB to once again begin shooting the rabbits where they are found. That was the method originally used, but the city put a halt to it after an EBB employee was observed last fall stomping a rabbit to death after a pellet gun didn‘t kill it.
Since then, the rabbits have been trapped, usually at night, then moved to a second location, where most of them are shot.
James said shooting on-site is arguably more inhumane to the rabbits, since it probably “scared the bejeezus” out of the animals to be trapped, relocated and then killed.
But James‘ motion to allow EBB to begin shooting the rabbits where they are found was defeated by council.
“Give it another three weeks of live trapping with the goal being relocation, and then see where we‘re at,” said Coun. Charlie Hodge.
“I‘m not ruling out any options once the contract is up,” said Coun. Robert Hobson.