Saanich is spearheading another stab at gathering support to target the province for a strategy to address the root causes of feral rabbits in B.C. during the 2025 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention.
Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, the Saanich councillor who helped pen the UBCM motion and championed it successfully at the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities, hopes they get to vote on it during the event Sept. 22 to 26 in Victoria.
The packed conference includes potential consideration of 270 resolutions from dozens of municipalities. The rabbit resolution is listed as “NR” for no recommendation, which puts it at the back of the pack for consideration.
“I will be pushing hard,” he said.
The motion calls for UBCM to urge the provincial government to develop a coordinated, provincewide strategy to address the root causes of feral rabbit abandonment across B.C.
“Since presenting the motion, I’ve heard from many people about the issue from around the province, and this has only further reinforced my belief in the need for provincial leadership on this matter,” Phelps-Bondaroff told the Saanich News. “From communities on the Lower Mainland, like Richmond and Surrey as examples, to Nanaimo, feral rabbits pose a challenge to local governments.”
He notes charities that work to address the issue are small and stretched for resources.
The rabbits most commonly seen in B.C. are wild European and eastern cottontail rabbits, a non-native species. These rabbits are often pets that have been released into the wild, and once they’re out, they breed like rabbits.
“Feral rabbits are becoming an increasing challenge for many communities – they are a risk to our environment, infrastructure, and to public safety,” Phelps Bondaroff said. “Municipalities and small charities have been left to tackle this issue alone, but without coordinated provincial support, efforts remain inconsistent and ineffective. Leadership from the province is essential to addressing the root causes and preventing further damage to ecosystems and infrastructure.”
In 2022, facing an abundance of bunnies in B.C., the province changed regulations in an attempt to control the feral rabbit population. The Wildlife Act no longer allows European and eastern cottontail rabbits to be relocated or released into the wild. It also removed the need for permits before trafficking, possessing or exporting European rabbits, captive or not, removing permit requirements for municipalities or other groups to trap and transport rabbits to rehab centres or homes, or euthanize them.
The Fur Bearers, a Canadian charity that champions the environmental protection through preservation of urban and rural ecosystems and wildlife, as well as education, also champions the cause and motion.
“Ultimately, the individual communities managing this issue are not the ones responsible for its root causes,” said Lesley Fox, executive director of The Fur-Bearers. “There is a lack of regulations around breeding and the widespread selling of unsterilized rabbits, a lack of education for pet owners, and a clear need for provincial support. We support this resolution as it calls on the province to address the root causes of this issue.”