Last year, I posted about the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s effort to reintroduce the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit back into their native habitat in Washington.
The program to breed the rabbits will most likely come to an end this year as there are no Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits left in the wild, and the last purebred rabbit died in captivity. According to Chris Warren, who runs the program, genetically speaking, Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits are now extinct.
In 2010, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will focus on introducing pygmy rabbits from Idaho into the area.
For more information: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_pygmy_rabbits.html
A Sad Story .. and so close to our home …
Nature’s orderve. I’ve yet to read what the cause of extinction is believed to be. Reintroduction seems futile because of experienced predation rates. I want one.
I believe the cause of extinction is loss and fragmentation of habitat. The smaller area of habitat resulted in an increase of predation and also competition for food with other species of rabbits.
Wow! this is news to me. I grew up in the area and never even heard a word about it. Sad!
I have been searching all day on this little bunny because it is the size of pet I wanted and I have always loved rabbits. Now I find out that it is a bread that is possibly gone and no way to ever be that cute little pet. So sad.