Consider these news releases (in chronological order):
(The UVic 2008 Public Awareness Campaign) cautions people to not chase, handle or pet the rabbits, and reminds dog owners that their pets are to be kept on leash and under control at all times when on campus. As wildlife, feral rabbits are protected by federal and provincial legislation from acts of harassment and cruelty ...
(UVic will) be able to explore a number of non-lethal control methods, such as vegetation modifications, to try to manage rabbit activities in key areas... 2
“We will only consider lethal means of controlling the rabbits if other reasonable options have been explored and found to be ineffective.” 3
The University of Victoria has entered into a pilot project agreement ... (to) ... test non-lethal approaches to remove at least 150 feral rabbits from areas in and around the university’s athletic fields. The pilot project involves live capture, removal from campus, sterilization and relocation to new homes.
...
“If this project proves successful, we will look at how the lessons learned can be applied elsewhere on campus within the context of a long-term management plan to reduce the rabbit population on university grounds to sustainable levels.” 4
“The contractor did not reach our target goal of capturing, sterilizing and relocating 150 rabbits,”
“This project demonstrated the complexities involved in managing wildlife and that simply expanding the pilot program is not likely to achieve our longer term objectives for feral rabbit management.” 5
The project, which concluded in February 2010, determined that while it was relatively easy to capture rabbits, recruit volunteers and engage veterinarians to sterilize the rabbits it was difficult to relocate rabbits to sanctuaries as originally planned. ... The project demonstrated the complexities involved in managing feral rabbits and that simply expanding the pilot program is not likely to achieve UVic's longer term objectives for feral rabbit management.
... UVic will continue to pursue solutions in a timely manner. 7
We believe that all of this points to the inevitability of a cull, if we do not intervene.
references:
1. Feral Rabbits at UVic: Backgrounder
2. UVic Launches Public Awareness Campaign on Feral Rabbits
3. UVic Invites Community to Help Reduce Campus Rabbit Population
4. Pilot Project Tests Non-Lethal Rabbit Control at UVic
5. Pilot project tests non-lethal rabbit control
6. UVic Concludes Rabbit Pilot Project
7. Rabbits @ UVic - an overview page
8. Environmental Consultant Report
9. The Stanford Cat Network - a successful trap-neuter-release (TNR) program
10. Long Beach City College starts rabbit TNR program
11. Long Beach rabbit TNR program shows promise
P.S. Thanks to "M" for providing Reference #8 !
