Rabbits Invade Fort Lauderdale
When Alicia Griggs steps outside her suburban Fort Lauderdale home, Florida’s latest invasive species comes a-hoppin’ down the street: Lionhead rabbits. The bunnies, which sport an impressive flowing mane around their heads, want the food Griggs carries. But she also represents their best chance of survival and moving where this domesticated breed belongs: inside homes, away from cars, cats, hawks, Florida heat and possibly government-hired exterminators. Florida’s environment is not friendly to lionheads. Instead of the 7 to 9 years they live when properly housed, their lives outdoors are nasty, brutal and shortened. The lionheads’ heavy coat makes them overheat during Florida summers and their lack of fear makes them susceptible to predators. Munching on lawns is not a healthy diet, they require special food. Their illnesses go untreated. They need owners. “Domesticated (rabbits) released into the environment are not equipped to thrive on their own,” said Eric Stewart of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. He said the breeder who released them should be prosecuted, a path the city has not pursued.
The Lauderdale Lionheaded rabbit colony survives and grows only because lionheads breed like the rabbits they are, with females birthing litters of two-to-six offspring every month, starting when they are about 3 months old. They are descendants of a group a backyard breeder illegally abandoned and let loose when she moved away two years ago. 60 to 100 lionheads are now populating Jenada Isles, an 81-home community in Wilton Manors. Alicia Griggs is spearheading efforts to raise the $20,000 to $40,000 it would cost for a rescue group to capture, neuter, vaccinate, shelter and then give away the rabbits. “They really need to be rescued. So we’ve tried to get the city to do it, but they’re just dragging their feet,” Griggs said. “They think that if they do that, then they’ll have to get rid of iguanas and everything else that people don’t want around.” Monica Mitchell, whose East Coast Rabbit Rescue would likely lead the effort, said capturing, treating and finding homes for them “is not an easy process.” Few veterinarians treat rabbits and many prospective owners shy away when they find out how much work the animals require. Griggs agreed.
The residents complain the lionheads dig holes, chew outdoor wiring and leave droppings on sidewalks and driveways. City commissioners also feared the rabbits could spread into neighboring communities and cities and become a traffic hazard if they ventured onto major streets. As the picture shows: the rabbits are everywhere you have to walk and drive around them. The concern is that not only will the wandering rabbits be killed, but that seniors will trip over them or swerving drivers will cause accidents. “We’ve found dead rabbits all over the place,” Griggs shared. Lionhead rabbits aren’t the only invasive species causing headaches or worse for Floridians. Burmese pythons and lionfish are killing off native species. Giant African snails eat stucco off homes and carry human disease. Iguanas destroy gardens. Like the Wilton Manors lionhead rabbits, those populations all started when people illegally turned them loose.
Bunny funnies
My little boys wanted to have a pet and we settled on a rabbit after much wrangling and prodding by them. As I expected the novelty wore off quickly and the rabbit was mostly forgotten. Frustrated by the lack of commitment to their animal I asked, “How many times do you think that rabbit would have died, if I had not been the one to go out there and feed and water it every day?” The 12 year old looked at me and said. “Once.”
This was strange: The other night walk in the woods and saw a rabbit standing in front of a flashlight making shadow figures of people on a rock.
How do you catch a unique rabbit?
Unique up on it…
Captain Crunch, Lucky the leprechaun, and the Trix rabbit have been found murdered in recent months.
The FBI believes they’re all victims of character assassination.
July 20th Birthdays
1971 – Sandra Oh, 1993 – Alycia Debnam-Carey, 1992 – Paige Hurd , 1976 – Judy Greer
1947 – Carlos Santana, 1996 – Joey Bragg, 1973 – Omar Epps, 1984 – Troy Smith