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By Creature Feature In Critter Corner, Uncategorized

Spring has sprung and it’s a time for new beginnings.  Since Easter is coming up this weekend, I though ya’ll might enjoy some pictures of one of our program bunnies enjoying some love and attention from one of our keepers. This bunny is actually a domestic rabbit that has the coloring of a wild cottontail rabbit.  Wild cottontails do not do very well in captivity as they are high stress individuals.  Because of this, they aren’t typically used in programs or kept in exhibits, so we have their domestic cousins who are willing to act as animal ambassadors for their wild cousins.

This bunny ‘s enjoying his beauty treatment

After he’s been brushed, he enjoys basking on the blanket that’s been provided.

oh my, this feels quite nice!

As keepers, we try to enrich our animals’ lives as much as possible. After being around the keepers, the animals get used to seeing us and having us take care of them.  However, they are still wild critters so that has to be respected as much as possible.  Although they may seem rather “tame”, they can still have wild instincts that cause them to be stressed out.  So, as part of our job, we have to think about that on a daily basis and consider it when we are interacting with our critters.  Fortunately, most of the time, the animals don’t mind us taking care of them.

After a grooming session, the bunny enjoys a treat of an oat bran biscuit back in his home.

So, Happy Springtime!