Easter Bunnies (Desert Cottontails)
As cute as they are, it is no wonder many people make an impulsive choice to buy baby domestic bunnies, chicks, ducks, and exotic turtles for Easter. But with the holiday just a few days away, Tucson Wildlife Center is asking everyone to re-consider including live animals in their Easter baskets.
Many of these animals are sold each Easter, then are surrendered a few weeks later. And since most animal shelters do not accept these animals, many are unfortunately abandoned into the wild or dumped off at parks where they can’t survive. Unlike the wild Desert Cottontails featured in our Easter collage, pet rabbits and other domesticated animals have no survival skills and can quickly die of starvation or become a meal for another animal when abandoned.
Healthy pet rabbits can live for more than 10 years, so before giving a forever-home to that baby bunny within your family, learn more about having a rabbit as a pet from The Humane Society of the United States, https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/rabbit-right-pet-you. And if you are not ready to make a long-term commitment, we suggest sticking to chocolate bunnies and stuffed chicks for your baskets this year.
If you would like to help patients like these wild Desert Cottontails, click the donate button below. We appreciate it, as will all the wild animals in our care!
Another way you can contribute is to visit our “wish list” on Amazon by clicking on the Amazon Wish List button below. We appreciate it, as will all the wild animals in our care!
