Oh, I miss the UVic bunnies! I just came home to Denmark after my exchange there and have only recently discovered this page. What a fun coincidence!

God, I miss the UVIC bunnies! I know there’s a lot of concern for their wellbeing, so I’ll just say that I grew up pretty much on the UVIC campus, and I can honestly say that these bunnies are doing just fine. I can recognize plenty that have been around for years, so it’s not like the population is composed totally of abandoned pets, nor like they have short life spans in the wild. In addition, the students, staff, groundskeepers, and visitors to the campus all take a keen interest in the rabbits’ health – we take the sick ones to the vet, shoo them off the roads, and care for abandoned babies. So don’t worry, everyone! These little guys are safe and sound, and we can all go back to cooing over them.

I had to move out of the dorms and into UCB family housing that didn’t allow pets (I got preggers and they didn’t allow any pets OR babies I posted flyers and found a great home for them where the family was committed to them. If I had let them go they definitely would have died, despite all the pretty grass and foliage on our campus.

Domestic rabbits lose their natural instincts like tunneling to build a nook for themselves, they don’t get the adequate nutrition and die young, they mate and many does die during childbirth (and the babies,) they get hit by cars, killed by people’s dogs, etc. It’s not an easy life. If you dump a rabbit don’t think you’re doing it a favor, they really do stand a better chance at a shelter where bunny rescues get people to foster rabbits till they get forever homes. One of my buns was on death-row and another was as well despite being a purebred lionhead, I fostered her and her 2 sisters. Two went to an owner and she stayed with me

Anyway, these buns seem to have been lucky and their ancestors that were released managed to find enough food/escape any predators/re-learned some bunny skills like digging a tunnel for the babes, at least enough to grow the colony. I’m sure that they still do not live long, likely a few years, but the mating keeps the population up. A house rabbit well-cared for can live more than 10 years, the oldest I think was 15 years. I think a world filled with rabbits would be awesome and I am so jealous of you that you go there.

But anyone looking at that who might be having to move b/c of housing or $ issues, please don’t dump your bunnies. It’s a death sentence, whether it comes quickly or in a couple years. Please take them to a shelter (try to find a no-kill one, google for one or a bunny rescue place.) Even if it’s a kill shelter chances are there are bunny rescues that might be able to home or foster your bunny (many do not take them directly from owners, but from the shelter.)

The BEST thing to do is put an ad on Craigslist (do NOT say free rabbit or $10 bunny, that will make them snake food.) Ask for an adoption fee and that it includes all the rabbit gear. (If they don’t want the gear, they likely don’t want the bun as a pet. People have been known to get rabbits for eating off Craigslist, no joke! In this economy, I wouldn’t be surprised if people thought roast rabbit sounded good. Then ask potential owners a set of questions you have written out, like “How have/will you rabbit-proof your house? Will you be able to provide vet care? Can you provide unlimited hay, daily veggies along with the pellets, etc.” You can get this info on rabbit.org.

Here ends my sermon, off to get things done and will not write any more dissertations, promise

The first bunny lives right outside my building door at UVic! I see him and all his little friends every morning. They survived well throughout the snowy winter and thrive, along with hundreds of other rabbits, on campus.
The rabbits have been at UVic my entire life and although it was horrible that the first few were abandoned here they have definitely adapted over the years. We also have a very thriving and well fed hawk population on campus.

First let me say that I agree with the posts that caution people about NOT dumping domestic animals on campuses. This creates lots of problems for both the environment and the animals, and is not a solution to unwanted pets.

However — they are adorable to watch. Wish my campus had bun-buns!

While I would never condone someone abandoning their pet like someone(s) obviously did to create all of these buns…
You have to admit that this is very cute.
Those bunnies have obviously adjusted very well and are doing just fine.
No one here is telling people that they should abandon their pet rabbit in hopes of something like this will happen.
I think this was just a very special cirumstance and it worked.
Time to stop being buzzkills and just enjoy it.

Nobody has cracked a joke about Playboy Bunnies yet? First one, then two, then three, all sharing one carrot…

Am I the only one with a dirty mind here? ^_~

Nik, I understand your concern, but I believe this is a unique environment that the bunnies have survived in. The students of UVic obviously treat them very well and they’ve been living in a little bunny paradise. Victoria is on an island anyway, I believe, so I think this is a special case where the community has grown to accept them and treat them as part of their environment. Given different circumstances, I’m sure this wouldn’t have happened, given the higher likelihood of predators, lack of boundaries, and a difference of people.

Ah caint b’lieve nobody’s said it yet…wheeeskerrs!