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Tuesday, September 07, 2010

University of Victoria's Claim to Fame

Victoria is famous for its inner harbour, temperate climate, large retiree population, architecture, and provincial capital city. It also is the home of the University of Victoria which has gained fame for its.... rabbits. And they are a problem. Over several decades, the feral rabbit population has grown on campus. They are every where...

Far...



And close...



How many are there? Doing a population count is not that easy; it costs a lot and requires it would be pretty invasive. Where did they come from? Over time they have accumulated because owners have abandoned them on the U of Vic lands; many are descendants of those original rabbits.

It's a big enough of a problem that the University has developed a long-term management plan to deal with them. Officials at the University want to impress upon the would-be feeders that the animals are wildlife.

But what do you do when a little being is just so damn cute?