UVic To Resume Rabbit Trapping For Community Sanctuaries

The BC Supreme Court has set aside an injunction preventing the university from capturing rabbits on its campus. As a result, UVic will begin to humanely trap rabbits and provide them to sanctuaries with Ministry of Environment permits and commitment from veterinarians to sterilize the rabbits.

“We were communicating with community groups before the injunction and intended to hand over the first round of trapped rabbits to approved sanctuaries,” says Tom Smith, UVic’s executive director of facilities management. “In the weeks since then we’ve continued to communicate with additional community groups. The Ministry of Environment has been working hard to facilitate permits. We anticipate that there will be enough capacity in various sanctuaries to handle all the rabbits we intend to trap in August and September.”

Over the next several days, UVic will coordinate trapping to meet the ability of various sanctuaries to receive rabbits. Currently permits covering three sites in BC and one in Texas have been approved. The permit holders are responsible for covering all costs related to rabbit sterilization and transportation. The university wants to significantly reduce its rabbit population and hopes to trap 400 to 500 rabbits during September, primarily in the area of the university residences.

The university will suspend trapping during the busy orientation and Weeks of Welcome events since increased activity in the residence area will limit the program’s effectiveness. UVic will remain in contact with permitted sanctuaries and will notify them when trapping resumes.

The burgeoning rabbit population needs to be reduced because it constitutes a safety and possible health hazard on campus and causes substantial damage to campus grounds and vegetation. The rabbits are also migrating off campus and into the neighbouring community.

“If trapping continues to be productive and if sanctuaries continue to have the capacity to receive rabbits we will extend trapping beyond the students’ return,” says Smith. “Otherwise we will not resume trapping until later in the fall. We will continue to communicate with interested community groups during that time that are interested in receiving rabbits.”

In arguing against the injunction, UVic maintained that its feral rabbit management plan meets the requirements of the legislation governing the rabbit population on campus. The animals are likely unwanted pets or the descendants of unspayed or unneutered pets abandoned on campus by members of the community. Download a PDF of the BC Supreme Court decision.  For more information visit www.uvic.ca/rabbits

UVic supports efforts by the BCSPCA to convince districts and municipalities to introduce bylaws prohibiting the sale of unsterilized pet rabbits.

 

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