Canmore’s feral rabbit population is scheduled to face a cull this winter, but could see a reprieve if a non-profit group with an acceptable plan steps forward to save them in the future.
Council approved awarding a contract to Animal Damage Control, beginning Nov 14, to locate, trap, humanely euthanize, transport and deliver rabbits to a suitable end use, such as a wildlife rehabilitation centre for raptors.
At the same time, council left the door open for a non-profit society to propose a program to spay/neuter and permanently relocate the animals to an approved sanctuary.
Mayor Ron Casey, however, told those upset with the decision and who wanted more time to propose alternate solutions that the municipality has waited long enough on the issue.
During a council meeting Tuesday (Nov. 1), Casey said the opportunity for alternate proposals existed and still exists, but has to prove itself acceptable.
“The door is wide open for anyone who wants to work with us… but we will not build the program for you,” he said. “We will work with you when you come to us with a program, which you have not done.”
The mayor pointed to efforts in Banff National Park to restore lake ecosystems by poisoning introduced species as an example of what Canmore is trying to achieve with the feral rabbits, which are not a natural species to the area.
In fact, said Casey, if they were, the provincial government would have already dealt with the issue. Meanwhile, he said, Canmore has been leading the way in dealing with wildlife issues by taking actions such as banning composting, bird feeders and installing bear proof garbage bins. He reiterated the rabbit population is an unnatural food source and wildlife attractant for predators like coyotes and cougars.
Save Canmore Bunnies spokesperson Kyndra Biggy said she is disappointed with how things turned out, but is hopeful the decision spurs people in the community to continue fighting to find a non-lethal solution.
“I was really hoping council would give us more time on this – it’s complex,” Biggy said, adding the most significant hurdle was finding land for a sanctuary to permanently relocate the bunnies. “I have to move mountains for these bunnies.”
Without land available within Canmore and the municipality being surrounded by provincial and national parks, she had to reach out to other communities which may not understand the issue.
“I hope this wakes people up… we need community support.”
There were concerns expressed the RFP and feral rabbit management plan wording created a scenario that put relocation and spay/neuter proposals at a disadvantage and may have discouraged applications.
The mayor said Canmore has always been willing to work with any group on the issue, but acknowledged the wording, which was added in at the last minute, may not have been the best.
“The wording of the RFP may have been awkward and if it was that’s unfortunate, but the intention was to make sure you had a sanctuary and we were not spaying/neutering and dropping them off in someone’s backyard,” Casey said, adding any non-lethal proposal would have to have a complete program without additional funding above and beyond the $50,000 budgeted being provided. “There was ample opportunity to ask questions and clear up confusion about what the budget would cover.”
Bylaw manager Greg Burt said the contractor is more than willing to work with any groups that come forward with an acceptable plan to spay/neuter and relocate the feral rabbits.
While the contract begins in two weeks, it only lasts until April 27 and will be subject to renewal upon review. Administration indicated it is expected to be an ongoing annual program that operates during the winter when food is scarce for the animals.
Burt added all trapped animals will be tracked to their end use by administration.
“The goal of the feral rabbit plan is to control and ultimately eliminate feral rabbits from the town,” he said.
The contractor will also establish a process for residents to request it to address rabbits nesting or living on private property and can be contacted at [email protected]
Animal Damage Control was the only proposal out of five to meet all the criteria set out in the RFP process.
The contractor is an animal management and control specialist and the program will be managed by bylaw services.
Those interested in establishing a non-lethal solution can contact Biggy through http://canmorebunnies.blogspot.com
