Steve's Blog at SteveEastwood.org

Steve's Blog
SteveEastwood.org

Observations about what is going on in the world and thoughts about what should be going on in the world.

Rabbit Rage

This entry was posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 5:02 AM and is filed under Utter Disbelief,rants.

PJ & I are members of Desert Botanical Garden in the outskirts of Phoenix. It's a beautiful oasis in the city with desert plants from all over the world including some rare and endangered species.

Lately we've been honing our photography skills there including working with macro lenses. I've even built an online store around some of my better photos.

This morning, the local newspaper is running a story about the garden. Apparently they're having an overpopulation problem with rabbits. Not too surprising considering we're in a drought and the garden must look like paradise to these Arizona natives whose ancestors pre-date humans in the area.

To keep down the rabbit population and protect the garden from Bunny at Desert Botanical Garden their destructive gnawing, the garden has instituted several measures:

Install more fencing along the perimeter of the garden.
Install protective materials around certain vulnerable plants.
Trap the bunnies and release them elsewhere in a humane way.
Allow their two resident cats do what comes naturally to cats during the night when the rabbits are generally out and about.
Shoot and kill the rabbits when the garden is closed.

This rabbit overpopulation problem wasn't common knowledge among members and other visitors, so I was a little surprised to find out that the treat of seeing these creatures during our visits posed such a problem.

But I'm sickened at the garden's final solution to the problem.

Their executive director, Ken Schutz, says he's not happy with having to kill the rabbits, but he doesn't see another way to combat the problem and protect the plants he's in charge of.

I agree that he must protect the plants of the garden. I understand that rabbits like to eat the plants and must be kept away from them.

But murdering them?

The rabbits are not the problem here. The people managing the place are the problem. They must find a more humane way to deal with the rabbits. After all, by Schutz' own estimate, they're only killing a couple dozen rabbits a year. Why can other rabbits be relocated, but other are sentenced to death?

They'll be getting a letter from me and probably many other members and visitors who are appalled by this practice.

Until and unless this practice stops, however, they won't be getting my money.

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Tuesday, August 15, 2006 12:55 PM Aloe Adeniums wrote:
Have you ever volunteered at the garden or gotten involved in the work there? You would be sickened by the damage. The past years have been harsh for the rabbits, harsher yet for the plants that can't run from the rabbits. New plantings are mown down overnight. Planting "rabbit food" plants would only encourage the rabbits to come back again. That is not the solution. Maybe the garden could hire a hungry T-Rex. That would take care of the little vermin!!!
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1. Wednesday, August 16, 2006 10:46 AM Steve Eastwood wrote:
  Have you ever volunteered at the garden or gotten involved in the work there?
  
  No, I have not volunteered or worked at the garden, though I am a member. I'm assuming by your comments that you have worked or volunteered there. Is that correct?
  
  You would be sickened by the damage.
  
  I'm sure I would be, and I've never, ever said that the rabbits aren't damaging the plants there. I understand that's exactly what they're doing since that's what rabbits do. I understand they're damaging rare, irreplaceable plants. I understand they're considered vermin by horticulturalists.
  
  However, they're also part of nature, just as much as this collection of plants from around the world despite the unnatural setting for them at DBG.
  
  Planting "rabbit food" plants would only encourage the rabbits to come back again. That is not the solution.
  
  And who said it was? I certainly didn't.
  
  My whole point is garden personnel should be able to humanely deal with the very few rabbits that they opt to instead kill each year.
  
  And I don't think a T-Rex would help. How about a more practical solution, like trap/neuter/release so long as the release is outside the garden? Surely there are people around here willing and able to help with such a program.
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