TRUCK FIRE – Firefighters knock down a fire in a Ford Explorer truck in Arrowhead Trailer Park in the 1200 block of Sawmill Creek Road Saturday evening. One person received fire-related injuries and was taken to the hospital, Sitka Fire Department Chief Craig Warren said, and the truck was considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Warren said. The fire hall received the call about the fire at 5:33 p.m., and one fire engine with eight firefighters and an ambulance were dispatched, he said. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

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Rabbits: Sitka's New Invasive Species Problem

A rabbit sits in a hutch outside the animal shelter on Jarvis Street this morning. The number of rabbit sightings and the number turned into the animal shelter increased tenfold in the past year, according to Ken Buxton, Sitka animal control officer. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

 

By ABIGAIL BLISS
Sentinel Staff Writer

Alice Wolcott has spotted a large rabbit twice in her neighborhood on Lance Drive.

“It is larger than any rabbit I’ve ever seen before,” she said. “My neighbor said live traps did no good and that there are at least six rabbits in the neighborhood.”

 

Wolcott expressed alarm at the number of rabbits that have been sighted running loose in her area, as well as the damage they might incur on the natural environment.

“It’s a major concern for rabbits (to be) free in a friendly environment where they are not supposed to be,” she told the Sentinel.

Wolcott’s rabbit sightings are only two of many, and her concerns are justified, said Animal Control Officer Ken Buxton.

He said  both the number of rabbit sightings and the number actually turned in to Animal Control increased tenfold in the past year. And, with rabbits’ ability to produce 30-40 offspring each year, Buxton believes the number of feral rabbits probably will increase, barring human intervention.

Rabbits aren’t native to Baranof Island, and consequently their growing numbers in the wild pose a serious threat to the stability of Sitka’s ecosystem, he said.

“In fact, they’re not native to the U.S.,” he said in an interview. “Most of them you see are the European rabbits. We do have some North African rabbits as pets, as well. If they’re not a pet, they’re an invasive species.”

“It’s very serious,” he said. “The ecological impact is huge, in my opinion.”

To start with, rabbits in the wild feed on plants that are integral to the well-being of the local environment, he said.

Buxton said one single rabbit can decimate 2.5 acres of some indigenous plant species, which, depending on the location of the site, could destabilize the soil underneath.

“They can wipe out native shrubs and trees by grazing them right to the ground,” he said. “The seedlings don’t get a chance.”

“It increases erosion, which we’re all very aware of in Sitka with landslides going on,” he added. “We have potential for the earth to move with this wet weather when we don’t have proper indigenous plants and trees growing on a hillside or in an area where we want that.”

Introducing rabbits into the environment also disrupts the lifestyles of other species in the area, he said. For some, the rabbits represent competition for resources, and for others, such as eagles, they are a new and abundant source of food.

Buxton worries that an increased number of rabbits might lead, in turn, to a surge in eagles. 

“We’re upsetting the balance,” he said.

Steve Bethune, a biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Division of the Alaska Fish and Game, expressed concern that local bears would start feeding on rabbits, drawing them into residential areas.

“The biggest concern I would have for loose rabbits in town is the potential for attracting brown bears to neighborhoods,” he told the Sentinel. 

He said his office has not directly received reports of rabbit sightings, but he’s seen comments on Facebook.

So, how did this non-native species get such a foothold in Sitka neighborhoods?

Buxton believes the problem can be traced to owners who keep rabbits as pets, or raise them as livestock, without taking the necessary precautions.

“Some people are reckless in the way they care for them,” he said. “They let them range freely.”

He said an island in Sitka Sound was recently discovered to have more than 100 rabbits roaming freely, and the man living there was evicted.

“Thank god it’s an island,” Buxton said.  

But, he added, “I’ve had reports of people driving down the road throwing rabbits out the window because they’ve had a litter and they don’t know what to do with them.”

The penalties in city, state and federal law for such behavior can be severe, he said. 

Under state statute AS11.61.140, which pertains to cruelty to animals, Buxton said he can level charges against rabbit owners who let their animals wander.

“If I can prove that you’re letting your rabbits roam around freely and get away and you don’t think it’s a big problem, it is,” he said. “And if I can find a way, I will try to roll it into a Class C felony... That’s how serious I believe that the problem of rabbits could become.”

Buxton said residents don’t have to own rabbits to have a part in dealing with the problem: if you see a rabbit running loose report it to his department, at 747-3245.

“Don’t take it upon yourself to try to get the animal if it’s unsafe,” he cautioned. “I’d like a report on it, and the area.”

He suggested using a live trap, but added, “Rabbits are extremely difficult to get with live traps.”

Once a rabbit sighting has been reported, Buxton said, he fully investigates the matter.

“I will circumnavigate that whole area looking for pens,” he said. “And, since I am now actively investigating an animal at large and possibly at risk...I may access someone’s property. I will not look in the windows of their house. I will not try to intrude, but I will access their property actively looking for this animal and actively taking mental notes of where pens are and what condition those animals are (in).”

He has two pens for housing rabbits that he catches or are turned in, and his first choice for these animals is to find a new home with a responsible owner. He said he can’t spay or neuter the animals, as there isn’t enough funding in his budget.

Buxton said his work keeping the rabbit problem under control is consistent with his affection for animals in general.

“I love animals,” he said. “We have to be fair to the animals that came first: the wild ones.”

Buxton said he hasn’t yet brought the spike in the number of rabbit calls to the attention of the troopers, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or the Assembly, but is confident he can count on local support moving forward.

“It isn’t about harming the rabbits; it’s about holding humans accountable,” he said.

 

 

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Businesses using the Centennial Hall parking lot testified Tuesday against a proposal to charge them rent in addition to the $200 annual permit fee. City Administrator Hugh Bevan made the proposal in response to the Assembly’s direction to Centennial Hall manager Don Kluting to try to close the $340,000 gap between building revenues and operational costs.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Alaska Native Brotherhood Grand President William S. Paul Sr. will be special guest and speaker at the local ANB, Alaska Native Sisterhood Founders Day program Monday at the ANB Hall.

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