Coombs parrot refuge will take in 350 feral bunnies from UVic
Robert Barron, Nanaimo Daily News
Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010
The World Parrot Refuge in Coombs has agreed to take in 350 feral rabbits from the University of Victoria next month as part of a roundup of the troublesome bunnies that have overrun the university's campus in recent years.
UVic plans to trap and either kill or sterilize and relocate about 1,400 of the rabbits and, while an animal rescue ranch in Texas has offered to take up to 1,000 of them, provincial regulations forbid adopting out feral rabbits except to approved animal sanctuaries with permits.
Rabbit advocates have been scrambling to find placements in B.C. for them ever since and the WPR's Wendy Huntbatch said she's more than happy to help after she was contacted.
The WPR, opened in 2004, is the only facility of its kind on the continent and is home to more than 700 abandoned or injured birds from all over the world.
"My dream of all animal sanctuaries and rescue organizations working together on behalf of all animals seems to be coming to fulfillment," Huntbatch said. "We have 22 acres of land at our refuge and I hope it will become a permanent home for these rabbits. I'll even consider taking more if we're asked."
The university has been struggling with the ballooning rabbit population, the offspring of pets abandoned on campus grounds, for about 20 years and a management plan calling for the removal of 1,400 of them was released last month.
Huntbatch said the WPR, which has been facing financial pressures since the province decided to discontinue its $100,000 in annual gaming grant allocations this year, won't be expected to bear any of the costs of the project.
"The groups that are rescuing the rabbits will cover all the costs," she said.
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© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2010