The European breed of rabbits are eating Hawaii up. In Mauna Loa especially, rabbits are seen more and more by both tourists and natives alike. They are destroying many of the island’s most beautiful plants. They are a problem because the plants have been growing for years without any natural predators like the rabbit that might eat them. Thusly, plants do not have any natural defenses, such as thorns or poison. The forest at Mauna Loa is not the only place facing the destruction of these seemingly innocent creatures. Thurston Lava tube and Kilauea also have had exponentially worsening problems with them. Most people who buy rabbits do assume correctly that they are rather harmless creatures—for humans, at least.
Since Hawaii is known for its lush vegetation, the rabbits have a cornucopia of delights to choose from, in particular young plants that are often sprouting everywhere. Their tiny teeth are perfect for ribbing off tree bark. Other factors that make them dangerous to the environment of the islands are their massive appetite. Their stomachs are twenty feet long. They also know how to survive. There is truth behind the “breeding like rabbits” saying. In Africa, scientists have discovered rabbit footprints cemented deep below the soil in the form of fossils. In just 3 years, two rabbits could make about thirteen million more rabbits. Though there are predators of the rabbit in the islands, such a figure still bothered park rangers and preservationists.
To keep this destructive force from harming the beauty of the Hawaii Islands, and thusly tourist opportunities, ranger s and other government officials captured about a hundred rabbits in 1991. Only a few years would have given the few rabbits the chance to become a few million. There are strict laws on the books now to prevent any such problem from occurring again. Releasing a rabbit out into the wild is illegal, but not illegal is the killing of rabbits.
If a person owns a rabbit in Hawaii, they must be kept contained on their property. Rather than releasing them into nature, the government urges people to give up their beloved pets to the Humane Society. Other considerations the government now urges is thinking about buying a rabbit, or any rabbit for that matter. Impulse or holiday buys rarely make the pet or the family happy afterwards. Because islanders want to keep their island beautiful, any sighting of a rabbit should be directly reported as if it were a scene of a crime.
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