Cannon Beach has many -- maybe too many? -- rabbits

(OCTOBER 16, 2018) Some residents of Cannon Beach say the city has too many rabbits.

But these bunnies are not from the area. They are feral rabbits. "Feral" means they were once pets, but now they are not. Someone brought rabbits to Cannon Beach as pets and then let them loose. 

Everyone agrees there are many rabbits, and they are everywhere. Rabbits can be a problem in cities. They eat vegetables, plants, and trees. They also dig holes in the ground.  But the residents of the town have different opinions about what to do. 

Some people love the bunnies. They feed them and play with them. They give the rabbits names. These people think the rabbits are now part of the town's charm. They are popular with tourists.

Other people do not want the rabbits there. They want to remove the bunnies from the city. They use fences or traps. They want the rabbit lovers to keep the rabbits in hutches (houses) and use fences or leashes.

Nature can control the number of rabbits, too. For example, other animals sometimes eat the rabbits, and sometimes the rabbits do not survive the cold winter. However, adult rabbits can have six babies every month. Therefore, the population can grow very fast.

The bigger problem may be that no government agency has responsibility for the rabbits, so little action will be taken in the near future.