http://castanet.net/edition/news-story-45583-11-.htm#45583

Poll Results at 9:15 p.m. March 10th:

Question: Do you think the City of Kelowna should extend the contract of EBB while deciding what to do with the city's feral rabbits?
Yes--253
No--225

Extend EBB's rabbit contract?
by Contributed - Story: 45583
Mar 10, 2009 / 4:41 pm

Kelowna Council agrees something has to be done quickly to ensure the remaining feral rabbit population is eliminated.

What they couldn't agree on is how.

Council debated the merits of live trapping versus culling for close to 90 minutes Monday, deciding culling should be an option, but not necessarily the first one.

EBB Environmental Consulting agreed to a $54,000 contract last spring to deal with the City's exploding rabbit population. At the time, it was estimated as many as 1,000 rabbits were running wild, most along the Enterprise Way corridor.

The contract with EBB expired March 4.

City Forestry Supervisor, Ian Wilson, says the population is now under control. Only 22 rabbits have been counted recently, although it is estimated as many as 100 may still be running wild.

"It's proven to be challenging to remove the last few remaining animals due to a number of reasons, low trapping efficiency, some continued interference. Only about a dozen rabbits have been trapped in the last three weeks by EBB," says Wilson.

"It's been a long, cold winter, but rabbit breeding season is just around the corner."

Unless monitoring and control efforts are continued, Wilson says the City faces another rabbit outbreak.

Wilson recommended Council extend the contract with EBB for two weeks while quotes are gathered on a new contract.

The new contract, worth $20,000, would provide $5,000 for education and communication and $15,000 for on-going rabbit control, including live trapping and/or culling, with a goal of eliminating the remaining population.