Can House Rabbits Survive In The Wild

What happens to rabbits who end up in the wild if they have been abandoned or have gotten loose from a backyard. Wild rabbits should never be tamed and confined as it causes severe stress.

Never Abandon A Rabbit Outside House Rabbit Society

Theft or teasing by humans.

Can house rabbits survive in the wild. Theyre scrawny little things and constantly skittish. The reality is fewer than 10 of orphaned rabbits survive a week and the care that people attempt to provide can be illegal unnecessary and potentially harmful. Rabbits are altricialwhich means that they are born hairless blind and helpless.

Often they wish to rehabilitate them with some advice from others. Sadly pet rabbits wont be able to survive in the wild. Rabbits are ground dwellers that live in environments ranging from desert to tropical forest and wetland.

They are the easiest of prey for predators. The European rabbit occupies open landscapes such as fields parks and gardens. They need to know how to hide from hawks and owls and foxes.

Generations of domestication have caused our pet rabbits to lose the sharp wild instincts that would give them a chance at survival. For hundreds of years these rabbits have been dependent upon humans to feed and house them. Unlike a few wild rabbits that make their nests in open fields most rabbits spend their lives in underground burrows.

They are subject to the following dangers. Likely the most common disease rabbit carry is rabbit fever or tularemia. For this reason it is wise to use caution when handling one.

But rabbits are not predators so would seem unlikely to have a negative impact on the ecosystem also I see wild bunnies in the fields and woods around my house. They lack the ability to survive in the wild. Many people mean well when they contact House Rabbit Society after discovering an abandonded nest of wild rabbits.

Wild rabbits are also known to survive in the wild by turning underground burrows into their homes. Rabbits can live almost anywhere they are able to dig burrows. In addition they have many natural enemies predators often attack rabbits that live in the wild.

Simply put it is not a good idea to release a domestic rabbit into the wild and in some places it is in fact illegal to do so. Their natural habitats include woods meadows forests farmland grassland moorlands salt marshes embankments sand dunes and cliffs. They die in traffic.

Other wild rabbits also live on high grounds. No its not likely that a pet rabbit will survive for very long in the wild. Yes it is possible for wild rabbits to have diseases and they can pass them on to other rabbits you have in the house.

A domesticated rabbit placed in the wild would instinctively dig a burrow for itself but this would be the only survival skill that it would be capable of. Ive had two bunny friends in my life. Their brains do not respond to dangers the same way that wild rabbits do.

Wild and domesticated rabbits share some similarities. So they need to be aware of their surroundings 247. Items such as escaping prey dodging vehicles or finding adequate shelter are a tough task for pet rabbits.

Their mortality is based on food availability predator presence and weather stability. Weather conditions namely heavy rains affect their homes they just fill with water. As mentioned above wild rabbits are some of the smallest animals in the wild.

Have you ever seen a wild rabbit. Most Wild rabbits live for less than one year. When pet rabbits are abandoned outside the end result is suffering followed by death.

Domesticated rabbits will not survive in the wild and should never be set free. When a wild rabbit stays in the space spot for a long time it is likely monitoring its surroundings. Wild rabbits have relatively short life spans typically less than two years but they mature quickly and have short 30-day gestation periods.

I imagine that if I turned my rabbit loose it would go make friends and babies with the wild rabbits in the area. Not so protected by rabbits living in the wild the ability to survive becomes for them the goal of all life. Perhaps your bunny has escaped from your garden while playing or youre just wondering if your bunny would be happier living in the wild.

If they live long enough they become infested with ticks mites fleas and botflies. Theyll be susceptible to sickness and disease. Rabbits are abundant in grassland areas where the soil allows them to make extensive well-drained burrows but also where there are hedges or patches of woodland to give shelter and cover.

They have to eat only what they themselves find. The diseases carried by wild rabbits are often associated with bacteria and parasites. Pet rabbits lack basic survival skills and dont understand the dangers of predators.

Wild rabbits sitting in the same place for long periods is just a natural safety mechanism. They need to know how to build a shelter. But that also means since domesticated rabbits are 1 domesticated and 2 not native to this continent that they cannot survive well in the wild.

Living under the Ground or on High Grounds. It is unlikely that a pet rabbit would be able to survive if they were released into the wild. Pet rabbits are not aware of many things that feral or wild rabbits know.

Bunny World Foundation Don T Forget Domestic Rabbits Are Not Wild Rabbits Please Get Educated On Their Differences Domestic Rabbits Do Not Become Free When Dumped At The Park They Become Free