Wild Rabbits in the Backyard

Last time we looked at the deer that make themselves at home in my backyard. Today we look at an animal that is much smaller and cutier…..is that a word? Oh well anyway, today I introduce you to Peter Rabbit. Yes this could be just any old pet rabbit, but we don’t have pets in cages here, this little guy, or at least I think its a guy, moved into our neighborhood in 2004. At that time he seemed to be a loner as we never witnessed him with company. He spent a month or so in the neighbors yard before coming to ours, and although you may see him wandering quite far, in the evenings, you will find him in our yard settling under a bush or tree. Recently we noticed that he had company and that the two spent a lot of time chasing one another around and just being cute as bunnies……imagine that. We are hoping that by the end of the season we will see Peter Jr.s.

In the evenings, when the sun has set behind the mountain and the air is cool, our yard comes alive and the rabbits are in the midst. They come out to much grass and fallen leaves. If there is a rabbit in my yard you can count on there also being at least one frustrated house cat in my window. My cats look longingly at the rabbits and dream of what it would be like to have one of their very own to play with.

These little fuzz balls are wild here, surely transplanted from elsewhere in history, but they seem to do well considering that they are very low on the food chain. Owls and hawks are quite fond of this size of rabbit as they are smaller than most rabbits used as domesticated pets or livestock. Wild rabbits can have four to six litters of babies each year but since they have made their home here, we have yet to see surviving young. We have hope for them though and keep a close eye on them. All of the neighbors who drive down our road are cautious when they see them by the road and slow down. We appreciate that. They too are a therapy of sorts because I challenge you to look at this little guy and not smile. Fortunately they are fearful of humans enough to run and not be hand fed. We just love watching them run and play in the yard and hope to see them for many years to come.