Releasing Buns into the Wild

Hi

Have just read an a circular post on UK Companion buns regarding bunnys being released into the wild-one woman thinks it may be better than her bun not having a garden, another said when she rides her horse that she often sees wild and tame buns.

So i need some bullet points to point out to these people why you should never do this! :evil:

Not going to rant at them just educate!

They will DIE!!!!

Yep but need a few more than that! :lol:

OK....
Pet bunnies have never been in the wild so will not have the same instincts to survive. Wild bunnies learn how to survive from their mum, Pet ones would not have this
Pet bunnies are the wrong colour to be out in the wild, a preditor will spot them a mile away
A lot of pet bunnies do not have the same fear of preditors
pet bunnies senses are not as sharp as their wild cousins as they have not needed to use them
Lop eared bunnies cannot see all around them as their ears block their field of vision

just a few

Isn't it illegal? :?

Beany said:

Isn't it illeagal? :?

Click to expand...

YES!!!

Like it!! Have emailed it round now just have to sit back and wait!! :lol:

I go on the A64 Leeds to Scarborough A LOT - & I have got to say I have seen loads of wild buns on that road - & not-so-wild. I nearly hit a New Zealand White the other day (couldn't catch it though... :? ) & I'm pretty sure I saw a black dwarf lop

My manager (dont like very much) had a black bunny. She tried forr ages to get him back, but now three years down the line there isn't just one but seven balck rabbits in the nearby fields. :shock:

i saw an angora and babies in a field, spent an hour looking for it...

Yep, releasing a domestic rabbit into the wild is illegal under the Abondonment of Animals Act.

Alot of what people think are domestic bunnies aren't, black rabits actually occur naturally in the population as can white rabbits... where do you think the domestic colours came from?! They are less common because they are not as camaflaged from preditors as wild colouring so get killed quicker and are less likely to pass on their genes.

Although there are cases of domestic animals being released and causing more variety of color what you're seeing is most likely their offspring, the orginal animal is unlikely to last long, particularly if they are domestic coloured.... there is a reason why wild rabbits are not bright, patterned colours. Even wild rabbits life expectancy is less than 2 years so a domestic stands little or no chance.

Keep in mind how difficult it is to bond rabbits into a group, a domestic rabbit released into a colony of wild rabbits is likely to be chased away and at most join a smaller group on the edge of the colony where there is least protection.

Living naturally doesn't necessarily mean living nicely, wild rabbits breed in such high numbers because they die in such high numbers. Survival of the fittest is very true addage and domestic rabbits don't make the grade compared to wild rabbits. If they did then the population of wild rabbits would be much more varied as too many people think it's a good way to get rid of their responsibility.

Tam