Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus ssp. domesticus)

28 February 2016
428 Greenbelt Park
Farm to Market Road 428
Denton County, Texas
(between Denton and Aubrey, Texas)

The tale of a Domestic Rabbit that someone either forgot or “dropped off” to fend for itself after likely not wanting to care for it any longer. This is the tale of the bunny in the pic. It allowed us to get within four or five feet of it without scampering away while keeping an eye on us the whole time. There were many people coming and going at 428 Greenbelt Park off of Farm to Market Road 428 in Denton County, Texas, not more than a mile northeast of Denton's city limits. We left it eating its tender green grass shoots and went on a long hike and when we returned at dusk there was fortunately a family trying to get ahold of it in order to take it and provide some kind of resolution and possible shelter for the Domestic Rabbit. It clearly does not stand a chance at the 428 Greenbelt Park as there are easily all sorts of predators on the prowl for potential prey at night including coyotes and bobcats for starters. And it is clearly potential prey. I hope that the family who was actively trying to capture it succeeded. Why people dump their pets including Domestic Rabbits is debatable but it occurs to us that if you’re planning on doing this why take a pet in the first place? 428 Greenbelt Park is administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.