Is the New England Cottontail Poised for a Comeback?

There is much ado about rabbits in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

Fosters.com is reporting that New Hampshire Fish and Game have approached the City Council, which owns Malley Farm, a 149-acre piece of land that currently houses the city’s leaf/grass recycling plant, Somersworth Community Gardens, and the Sober Sisters Recovery to propose the reintroduction of the New England cottontail rabbit.

The area, which has seen industrial park development in recent years is home to both the Eastern cottontail (not on the endangered species list) and the endangered New England cottontail species of rabbit.

The New England cottontail rabbit hit the endangered species list due to declining populations, according to Fosters.  It appears that the New England cottontail is pretty picky about its habitat and prefers dense cover.

The property that Fish and Game is proposing has already had sightings of the New England cottontail, Fosters states, so it seems that its only a matter of time before they move in with or without the City Council approval.

I don’t think rabbits can read City Council decisions or notice property lines.

The difference being if you have an Eastern cottontail invading your land, you can, um, remove or dispose of it however you chose but if you discover a New England cottontail, it’s a much different story.

They are endangered.

According to fosters.com, The City Council is looking to find a balance between keeping the area friendly to developers and maintain an open space for wildlife.

I wonder what Beatrix Potter would think of this argument.  I suppose you want to bring new development to your city and not have construction halted because you found a particular rabbit, but rabbits are cute, and I love watching them.

Here’s to Peter Cottontail finding happiness, wherever he resides.