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Feral rabbits are still a topic for Kelowna City Council. (File photo)
The City of Kelowna’s program to control feral rabbits has largely been succesful, council was told this afternoon. But councillors also heard that now is not the time to ease up.
Ian Wilson, the city’s park services manager, told council 312 rabbits have been removed from the environment since April and that only two complaints about feral rabbits have been received in the last few months.
However, he also added that there appears to be a small number of rabbits in Mission Creek Regional Park and the Mill Creek/Spall Road area. And that means the job is not done yet.
“Knowing what rabbits do, we’re suggesting that it would be prudent to have at least for one more year, to have some sort of ongoing monitoring and management program,” he said.
Wilson went on to say his department would make a funding request for such a program during the upcoming 2010 budget deliberations.
Last year The Responsible Animal Care Society received $11,500 to provide monitoring and control services.
Updated: 09/10/16 4 p.m.
Kelowna City Council is recommending that the feral rabbit program continue longer than initially planned.
Staff feel that while the program has been successful, that it is prudent to continue to monitor and trap any remaining animals for at least another year. A budget item, estimated at about $12,000-15,000 will be submitted for consideration in 2010.
In 2008 EBB Environmental Consulting was awarded a one-year contract, ending in March with just 22 known rabbits at large.
Also in March, council awarded a one-year contract for on-going monitoring and control of feral rabbits to The Responsible Animal Care Society.
Since taking control of the program, TRACS has trapped a total of 179 rabbits. A number of them were pregnant and gave birth to 133 additional rabbits in captivity.
TRACS has reported 234 of the rabbits have been spayed or neutered so far. Rabbits are not sterilized immediately until they reach a minimum age. TRACS is currently raising funds to cover the costs of sterilization.
The Parks Services Branch only received two complaints about ferals rabbits in the last months and have created a public education program with the help of a marketing company.
Tags: city of kelowna, feral rabbits
