[Petbunny] San Juan Island rabbits

[Inky Rabbit]

The San Juan Island National Park at Friday Harbor in WA state had the 
only colony of wild oryctolagus cuniculus (our domestic rabbit) in the 
USA that had been documented/studied since the 1960's.   The island has 
a population of "San Juan Island" rabbits -- a strain of our domestic 
rabbits -- that has been there for over a hundred years.

The Park Superintendent (new there as of just a few years ago - his name 
is Peter Dederich) considers them a pest.

I could not get him to save the park rabbits.  I don't know what has 
happened to them because I don't live there and they refuse to 
communicate except for official mailing lists etc. 

It is very sad.  The warren they had, had been continuously occupied for 
over 40 years.  What a research treasure; and, the local people loved 
their rabbit colonies at the park.

I just got the Park's new spiffy 'general mgt. plan - special edition 
07-08 and CDROM (or dvd)' and see no mention yet of rabbits.