30,000 rabbits...

I've seen this figure quoted a few times for the amount of rabbits that are given to rescues each year.

Does anyone have any links to where the figures stem from?

not looking to start a debate as to whether its true or not just interested in the source and to look for comparisons between rabbits and other animals.

Funny, I was going to post the same yesterday but never got around to it so I'll be watching with interest!

The British House Rabbit Association (before became RWA) did one I think it was 2000/1 then I did one in 2004 (I think) they both came up with pretty similar numbers.

The one I did involved writing to all the rescues as asking how many rabbits they had in the previous year. Then multiplying that up to account for the rescues that didn't return stats. Off the top of my head about a third returned figures which came to just over 10,000 (so multiplied up = 30,000+).

There's a post about it somewhere in the welfare section I think

Tam

Thought it may be something like that.

So is the 30.000 the number that are estimated to be in rescue at any one time?

Also, out of interest, can you remember how many rescues there were at that time that you knew of?

30,000 was rabbits through rescue in a year

Here you go:

362 forms sent
31 replied to say closed
13 returned to sender
110 filled in

So the results are for 110 rescues (approximately a third of the total number of rescues).

In total, 11,498 rabbit were taken in during 2004. At the time the survey was filled in there were 2351 rabbits in rescues looking for homes and a further 1326 on waiting lists to come in! (those are totals for the 110 rescues)

If you multiply the average no. of rabbits taken in per rescue by the total rescues on the list that makes a total of 33,027 rabbits taken in.

Was that done is 2000/2001/2002? I am sure it's one of them but I can't remmeber