Local veterinarians in Calgary are highly concerned about a contagious virus among rabbits, hares and pikas - Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD).
A large number of deaths of feral domestic rabbits have occurred in the city at Nose Hill Park.
Feral rabbits are domesticated rabbits that have been abandoned or have escaped outdoors.
Local veterinarians in Calgary are highly concerned about a contagious virus spreading to wild populations.
RHD is a highly contagious virus among rabbits, hares and pikas.
“It is only a matter of time before large herds of wild rabbits are affected. It’s spread not only from rabbit to rabbit, but also from scavengers, and people can pick it up with their hands and their clothes,” says Dr. Leticia Materi, a veterinarian at the Calgary Avian and Exotic Pet Clinic.
Since late August, there have been seven confirmed cases of feral pet rabbits. It is only a matter of time before large herds of wild rabbits are affected.
“It’s scary. It could potentially have devastating effects on certain species. If it gets into the wild population, there’s a chance it could spread beyond the city limits,” adds Materi.
RHD could lead to significant population die-offs and wild rabbits are important part of our ecosystem as herbivores and prey for other carnivores and scavengers.
“People keep dumping and abandoning pet rabbits. They are little domestic animals,” explains Maureen Hurly after she shares her horrific experience of seeing four deceased feral rabbits lying around.
“It’s really cruel to dump them because they can’t really fend for themselves and they become vulnerable to predators and disease, starvation and winter temperatures.”
Small farm and rabbit owners are encouraged to get their pets vaccinated and cautioned to stay away from known hot spots.