The Fight to Save the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit, Explained

North America's smallest rabbit species urgently needs help!

The mango-sized creatures are in trouble, their survival threatened by unremitting habitat loss and other challenges, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

At least we know where the rabbits congregate. WDFW researchers will be flying drones over "known pygmy rabbit locations" in Grant and Douglas counties. Private lands may be impacted - if this sounds Orwellian, rest assured that permission will be sought beforehand from landowners.

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According to a press release, "Flights will occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are anticipated to take place throughout the project timeline beginning December 2024 through October 2026. Flights are expected to correspond with WDFW’s current field surveys for pygmy rabbits. Flights will depend on weather conditions and suitable flight conditions."

"The purpose of the flights is to test drone and sensor capabilities and effectiveness for tracking pygmy rabbit distribution and numbers in snowy conditions. Researchers will also use the drones to help determine the survival rate of reintroduced animals."

"Drone imagery has the potential to gather species distribution data in a safer and more efficient way than current methods."

"The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is one of the smallest rabbit species in North America and faces significant conservation challenges in Washington. Listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the pygmy rabbit’s survival is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation as shrubsteppe areas."

"To support population recovery, WDFW has implemented a reintroduction program that uses semi-wild breeding enclosures to produce juveniles for release into carefully selected, suitable habitats. Essential to these efforts are habitat corridors—densely vegetated pathways that connect critical areas and allow pygmy rabbits to safely move between them."

Click here for more information on pygmy recovery efforts. If you're interested in potentially adopting (!) a pygmy rabbit, click here.