Ken Schutz
Desert Botanical Garden
1201 N Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ 85008

August 16, 2006

Mr. Schutz:

I read an article in the Arizona Republic recently about the problems your organization is having with the rabbit population destroying many of the plants, some rare and irreplaceable, in the garden.

As a long-time patron of the garden and a current member, I was surprised to hear about this being such a problem. I was also sickened when I found out that in dealing with this problem you have garden personnel shooting and killing a couple dozen rabbits every year while the garden is closed.

I understand that rabbits can be incredibly destructive and the desert habitats the garden presents and tries to preserve are extremely fragile. I also know you employ several non-lethal methods of pest control when it comes to the rabbit population, and for that I'm most appreciative.

It seems to me that for the one rabbit killed in the garden every other week or so that you cited in the Arizona Republic article, your organization in cooperation with other non-profit agencies, government entities, and private citizens, could come up with a non-lethal means of dealing with the thirty or less hunted and killed every year in the garden.

Desert Botanical Garden is a wonderful oasis in the desert, a fascinating place for residents and visitors alike to marvel at the biodiversity of the desert -- fauna as well as flora.

While I can understand the frustration of preserving the plant life in the garden, there must be a way to do this without the loss of the animal life beyond the natural tendencies of predators, including the garden cats, already present.

Intentionally killing a part of the desert as in your periodic rabbit hunts seems so out of place considering the second part of Desert Botanical Gardens' mission statement: "We will ensure that the Garden is always a compelling attraction that brings to life the many wonders of the desert." Aren't animals a part of what "brings to life the many wonders of the desert"?

With my membership coming up for renewal soon, I cannot help but re-evaluate my willingness to fund an your organization which I have admired for so long for your commitment to preserving desert life and teaching the public about this delicate environment having found out that while you outwardly promote the wonders of desert life, you're destroying a vital part of that desert life when no one else is looking.

Is there some way members, such as myself, can help you and Desert Botanical Garden to stop this senseless killing? Please let me know. I await your reply.