If you ever wondered - Bugs Bunny now lives in Wilton Manors, Fla

[samhexum]

No word on the whereabouts of Daffy Duck...

South Florida residents have a hare-raising problem in their community.

A bunny breeder based in Fort Lauderdale illegally let loose a thriving group of domesticated rabbits on the streets, leaving neighbors to deal with the problem.

“One of the neighbors moved a couple of years ago, and she just left her rabbits in the street when she moved,” Alicia Griggs, local rabbit supporter, told the Associated Press. “They were not spayed or neutered, so they started multiplying.”

Between 60 and 100 lion head rabbits have made new homes in the backyards of houses located in Wilton Manors, a suburb of the coastal metro area.

Starting at just 3 months old, the female rabbits birth litters of two-to-six offspring every month.

 

Their thick fur and daring nature aren’t the best fit for outdoor life in the Sunshine State, thanks to hot temperatures and predators.

“They’re not supposed to be in the heat because they could have a heat stroke when the temperatures get above 85 and there’s predators all around that can kill them. And we’ve found dead rabbits all over the place,” Griggs shared.

Some residents of Jenada Isles, an 81-home community in Wilton Manors, find that having the bunnies around brings a sense of joy to the neighborhood.

One resident, Gator Carter, puts out food for the lionheads and his two young grandchildren enjoy feeding rabbits to the animals. WTF?!?

“People drive by, stop, love ’em, feed ’em,” Carter said. “They don’t bother me. We have a couple Airbnbs on the island here and the people (guests) are just amazed that the rabbits come right up to them.”

Having bunnies hopping around the neighborhood might be a cute addition for some, but it’s also been an annoyance to others.

“Every morning, first thing I do is get up and cover up the holes and chase them out of the backyard too. I like them, but I just wish they would go somewhere else,” local resident Jon King, deceased porn star, said. “Rescue would be great.”

King said the hares dig holes in his yards and leave bunny droppings on sidewalks and driveways. He shared he had to spend $200 to repair his outdoor lights after the rabbits chewed on the wiring.

The rabbit repeller didn’t work for King, and his little dog doesn’t scare them either. In fact, King’s dog “is their best friend.” Awww!

The best chance of survival for these domesticated rabbits would be moving them to where they belong — inside homes, away from all possible dangers.

Jon King describes the damage caused by rabbits.  Death has not been too kind to him!  

The City of Wilton Manors initially said the rabbits would need to be exterminated, but backtracked and agreed to allow residents some time to raise money in order to rescue the lionheads and get them into homes.

“The safety of this rabbit population is of utmost importance to the City, and any decision to involve ourselves will be certain to see these rabbits placed into the hands of people with a passion to provide the necessary care and love for these rabbits,” Police Chief Gary 'Beta' Blocker said in a statement.

“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.”

Griggs is initiating the push to raise $20,000 to $40,000, which would cover the costs to capture, neuter, vaccinate, shelter and give away the growing group of bunnies, which “is not an easy process,” according to Monica Mitchell, whose East Coast Rabbit Rescue would likely lead the effort.  Mitchell shared that very few veterinarians actually treat rabbits, and people interested in owning them tend to back out once they find out how much work these animals are.  “People don’t realize they’re exotic pets and they’re complicated. They have a complicated digestive system and they have to eat a special diet,” Griggs admitted. “You can’t just throw any table scraps at them.”

 

Alicia Griggs is initiating the push to raise $20,000 to $40,000, which would cover the costs to capture, neuter, vaccinate, shelter and give away the growing group of bunnies.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/17/rabbits-invade-town-run-amok-on-residents-they-started-multiplying/

[dbar123]

We have rabbits in our neighborhood. The population ebbs and flows depending upon the health and abundance of our local foxes and coyotes. I find the foxes to be especially majestic. I see then roaming the neighborhood in the early morning. As far as damage to our garden, the chipmunks are a far greater menace.

[samhexum]

38 minutes ago, dbar123 said:

I find the foxes to be especially majestic. 

Me, too

 

[Luv2play]

We have lots of wild rabbits in our neighbourhood but nature provided them, not a careless owner of exotic rabbits that turned them loose.

In our case we also have natural predators such as coyotes and foxes which come into town so the rabbits have to keep a watchout. Life and death go on.

[samhexum]

20 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

In our case we also have natural predators such as coyotes and foxes which come into town so the rabbits have to keep a watchout. Life and death go on.

 I can't wait until the rabbits organize and start patrolling the area with AK-47s.  You're probably the type who would do nothing and let a bear kill a moose calf. 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by samhexum
because he's bored as hell

[Luv2play]

I've seen a full grown moose up close and apart from the fact they are herbivores, they could kill a bear cub as easily as a black bear could kill a moose calf. Such is life in the wild.

[samhexum]

13 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

I've seen a full grown moose up close and apart from the fact they are herbivores, they could kill a bear cub as easily as a black bear could kill a moose calf. Such is life in the wild.

Well, in my more urban experience, I've seen a full grown moose that's gentle enough to be friends with a squirrel.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Luv2play said:

We have lots of wild rabbits in our neighbourhood but nature provided them, not a careless owner of exotic rabbits that turned them loose.

In our case we also have natural predators such as coyotes and foxes which come into town so the rabbits have to keep a watchout. Life and death go on.

I'd think the Canadian lynx would be the most prevalent predator in the North. Conservation status is Least Concern, so plentiful.

[CuriousByNature]

1 hour ago, Unicorn said:

I'd think the Canadian lynx would be the most prevalent predator in the North. Conservation status is Least Concern, so plentiful.

Lynx are beautiful but elusive.  I've never seen one in the wild despite hiking in all different seasons.  Surprisingly, even those animals listed as being of least concern are not always abundant.  I think the population of lynx in Canada is somewhere around 10,000.  I would expect the population of coyotes to be many more times that figure, since they have also adapted to urban life.  Cities like Toronto and Vancouver have several thousand coyotes in their environs, and even in the downtown cores.  Which is surprising since the real estate prices in either city is ridiculous, and I don't know how the average coyote can manage it.

[+ Italiano]

In Italy this would be the solution. Delicious!

 

Rabbit Ligurian Style

[mike carey]

1 hour ago, Italiano said:

In Italy this would be the solution. Delicious!

 

Rabbit Ligurian Style

'Underground mutton' is what it's called in the bush here. Fed many a family in the Depression, but also before and since. The South Sydney team in the national rugby league is nicknamed the Rabbitohs, for the itinerant rabbit sellers in that then working class area.

[Luv2play]

11 hours ago, CuriousByNature said:

Lynx are beautiful but elusive.  I've never seen one in the wild despite hiking in all different seasons.  Surprisingly, even those animals listed as being of least concern are not always abundant.  I think the population of lynx in Canada is somewhere around 10,000.  I would expect the population of coyotes to be many more times that figure, since they have also adapted to urban life.  Cities like Toronto and Vancouver have several thousand coyotes in their environs, and even in the downtown cores.  Which is surprising since the real estate prices in either city is ridiculous, and I don't know how the average coyote can manage it.

I understand why wild animals can penetrate to the heart of Toronto as it has a network of ravines and valleys leading into many neighbourhoods including exclusive enclaves like Rosedale. Not so familiar with topography of Vancouver's downtown.

[+ Pensant]

We’ve had a plague of feral rabbits for years on Whidbey Island. Years ago domestic rabbits were let loose by a 4-H club at the nearby county fairgrounds and interbred with local rabbits. Many thought they were cute and fed them, but they wrought havoc in gardens and were relentless hole diggers, not to mention depositors of countless pellets. Then, suddenly, they were completely gone. The hemorrhagic rabbit plague from BC finally made it to the southern end of the island three weeks ago and led to a rapid rabbit die-off. Gardens are blossoming again, but I suspect the coyotes and owls are searching for new sources of protein!

‘Spreading like wildfire’: Rabbit disease decimating bunny population on Whidbey Island – KIRO 7 News Seattle

WWW.KIRO7.COM

---

The virus is called rabbit hemorrhagic disease, or RHDV2. It’s highly contagious and fatal for rabbits.

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Pensant

[samhexum]

5 minutes ago, Pensant said:

 

‘Spreading like wildfire’: Rabbit disease decimating bunny population on Whidbey Island – KIRO 7 News Seattle

WWW.KIRO7.COM

---

The virus is called rabbit hemorrhagic disease, or RHDV2. It’s highly contagious and fatal for rabbits.

 

I think I read about that.  Wasn't there some kind of controversy because some of the rabbits wore masks and others refused to?

[CuriousByNature]

24 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

I understand why wild animals can penetrate to the heart of Toronto as it has a network of ravines and valleys leading into many neighbourhoods including exclusive enclaves like Rosedale. Not so familiar with topography of Vancouver's downtown.

No ravines or valleys out there - at least not in downtown.  What surprises me more is when I hear about a bear found downtown or in the residential areas of the city - there was one or two a few weeks ago that I saw on the national news.  And when I lived out there a bear was seen walking over one of the main bridges into the city.  Maybe it had a pied a terre downtown that it used on the weekends.

[Lookin]

3 hours ago, CuriousByNature said:

And when I lived out there a bear was seen walking over one of the main bridges into the city.  Maybe it had a pied a terre downtown that it used on the weekends.

He's probably out shitting in the woods .     . . He's just like you at that age

[samhexum]

The NBC logo has also decided to relocate to Florida:

 

An Overrun Miami Suburb Will Snip Its Peacocks (and Not in the Feathers)
The birds are breeding and running amok in Pinecrest, Fla. The village will test a novel solution to rein them in: peacock vasectomies.

The prevailing theory about why the peacocks flocked to suburban Pinecrest is that, like many a Floridian, they went hunting for better real estate.

Long a mainstay in bohemian Coconut Grove, a Miami neighborhood up the road, the nonnative birds began making their way south in recent years, local officials suspect, because old Grove cottages were being turned into immense modern houses that chipped away at the area’s lush tree canopy. In the affluent village of Pinecrest, the peafowl found larger lots with plenty of greenery that were far more to their liking.

The birds, however, were not so much to their new human neighbors’ liking. The peacocks scratched the roofs of stately homes, pecked the paint off fancy cars and defecated on manicured driveways. Their piercing squawks — “aa-AAH! aa-AAH!” — often woke residents before dawn.

So Pinecrest devised a novel plan: peacock vasectomies.

Snip one male peacock, the thinking goes, and it will no longer be able to fertilize the eggs of the female peahens in its harem.

“Peacocks are bona fide polygamists,” said Dr. Don J. Harris, the veterinarian hired by Pinecrest to perform the procedure. “We’re going to catch one peacock and probably stop seven females from reproducing. It’s going to have an exponential benefit.”

No one knows if, or how well, the Pinecrest pilot program will work. But in balmy South Florida, where people have little choice but to coexist with wildlife both native (alligators, sharks) and invasive (pythons, iguanas), it is a new way to try to deal with an old problem.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to kill them — God, no,” said Gerald Greenberg, who has about seven peafowl living in an oak tree in his front yard. But, he added, “We’ve got to do something.”

What makes Florida different, said Ron Magill, the communications director for Zoo Miami, is that in most other parts of the country, winter will kill off most exotic species.

“When those animals get out here in South Florida, they’ve entered Club Med,” he said. “This is paradise.”

Iridescent peacocks have roamed some of greater Miami’s neighborhoods for decades, with little consensus about what to do about them. To their defenders, they are majestic and beautiful. To their critics, they are an unabated nuisance.

In 2001, when the peafowl population was far smaller, Miami-Dade County made killing or capturing them illegal, with an exception for homeowners to remove birds from their property without harming them. Many municipalities, including Miami, are bird sanctuaries.

So over the years, when neighbors would grumble about peacocks driving them cuckoo, local officials would side with the birds. Miami, after all, is a city where chickens and roosters freely roam some streets and, since the coronavirus pandemic, have proliferated around the federal courthouse and other buildings downtown.

But last year, as more communities complained about peacocks destroying property, a divided County Commission voted to allow municipal governments to submit “peafowl mitigation plans.” Pinecrest, a village of about 18,000, was the first to do so with its vasectomy plan, which county commissioners approved last month.

The office of Raquel A. Regalado, the commissioner whose district includes Pinecrest, agreed to pay about $15,000 for veterinary equipment to perform the vasectomies. Pinecrest has budgeted $7,500 a month to implement the plan.

Vasectomies would allow peacocks to continue acting like dominant males, displaying their dazzling feathers and assembling their harems, though they could no longer fertilize any eggs. But trapping peacocks, with their sharp beaks and talons, is not easy. And while endoscopic avian vasectomies (where the vas deferens is cut) are less complicated than full castration (where the testes are removed), surgery is still surgery.

Dr. Jim Wellehan, a zoological medicine professor at the University of Florida, recalled performing endoscopic gonadectomies at a zoological institution years ago to control the mallard duck population. “Early on, there were so many challenges, and it was difficult,” he said. “But before long, we had it down.”

“To be honest, the expense that goes into trap-and-release programs is really hard to justify,” he said. But people are often unwilling to just euthanize animals.

Earlier this year, the euthanizing of aggressive Muscovy ducks in Palmetto Bay, south of Pinecrest, prompted so much outrage that some residents held a candlelight vigil for the deceased.

No similar affectionate displays have taken place for the Pinecrest peacocks, though Shannon del Prado, the councilwoman who proposed the program, said a few people had written to say that the birds should be left alone.

“‘You’re trying to eradicate the peacock,’” she said someone told her. “That’s really not the case. I have a rescue cat, but she’s fixed.”

Others have reacted like David O. Markus, a 16-year Pinecrest resident who calls the peafowl a “plague.” A peacock attacked his Tesla, leaving it scratched up. (The males are thought to see their reflections in the paint, misidentify them as rivals, and peck away.)

Mr. Greenberg, a lawyer, said he will sometimes be on a Zoom call and a peacock will screech.

“People from other parts of the country will pause and ask me what that noise is,” he said. “I will explain that they have pigeons — and we have peacocks.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/09/us/peacock-vasectomies-miami-pinecrest.html