The Martlet

Bob Barker would be proud of UVic’s newest efforts in controlling the campus rabbit population.The ex-“The Price is Right” host spent decades telling his viewers to be responsible pet owners and to spay or neuter their animals. Now it appears that UVic is following his advice. The university has begun a pilot program where they will spay and neuter 150 UVic rabbits.

The program includes other initiatives as well, such as establishing rabbit-free zones on campus.

According to Richard Piskor, director of UVic’s Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Environment, the rabbit population has grown to the point where it is a danger to the health of those at the university and in the larger community. Piskor says that the rabbits are also harming campus grounds.

“They are eating a lot of the new plantings, a lot of the native plantings, and damaging the trees planted [during] the Commonwealth Games and burrowing around campus … and a significant amount of feces on the ground poses a health risk to UVic and community athletes,” said Piskor. “[We] want to get the rabbits to where they are not an issue to health and safety, or a danger to the vegetation on campus.”

Piskor said that the pilot program will help determine the best ways to capture and sterilize the rabbits. One method that will be tested in the rabbit-free zones around the stadium, athletic fields, Garry Oak and the Finerty Gardens is a simple caged trap with food in it. Another method on trial will see someone coax the rabbit into the cage with vegetables, or simply create a trail of food leading to a trap.

The rabbits will be sterilized through standard spaying and neutering, with the help of local Veterinarian clinics.

According to Piskor, undertaking the pilot project is important because if the university does nothing, the situation will continue to deteriorate.

“It’s the same problem with any expanding population. The population would continue to grow and have the issues that come with that,” he said. “There will be increased health risks to student and community athletes, sick and injured rabbits [from traffic accidents], damaged plants and a dispersal of rabbits into the community at large. We are committed to keeping a sustainable population confined to the centre of campus.”

Piskor says the program has received support from the BCSPCA and other animal welfare groups, including the Rabbit Advocacy Group of B.C. He notes that others, however, may not be as enthusiastic.

“I certainly suspect there are groups against this, as it is an emotional issue and there are strong opinions on both sides, but I don’t know of any,” he said.

UVic Communications will be organizing information on the project for the media and the public at large, but other sources have been keen to get involved as well. Earthanimalrights.org, a website put up by Common Ground and the Earthanimal Humane Education and Rescue Society, has information about the UVic project and how to help.

“We will make sure every bunny is healthy, and spayed or

neutered … Our veterinarians are all great rabbit doctors. Rabbits are

social animals; family and friends are important to them. We will take care to see that small groups remain together,” says a statement on the group’s website, “The UVic Feral Rabbit Pilot Project.”

The rabbit project will extend on through January to the end of February, when the Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Environment will evaluate the data, and further measures will be devised.