By Jeremy Varner
My mom used to read lots of Beatrix Potter stories to us as kids. Maybe I was partial to her works because my namesake, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and I are both avid anglers, adventurous eaters, and friendly hosts. But Ms. Potter’s real star is Peter Rabbit, the mischievous yet curious and adventuresome bunny.
You would think that Atlanta would have lots of rabbits since it’s green and lush like the English countryside of Ms. Potter’s stories, but I’ve found rabbits to be extremely rare here. Up until this year I had only seen one wild rabbit in Grant Park. It was during a Dr. King Day service project with the Conservancy. I was pulling trash out of the ivy by Constitution Springs when a cottontail and I startled each other. He ran off while I tried to dig out my phone for a picture. He was obviously much faster than me.
This year, my family and I have been delighted by the arrival of some eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) on our block. I believe these rabbits have a burrow in the short-term rental property next door because they run under the fence whenever they see me. I’ve seen a rabbit run across the street in front of our house, and I saw another one a couple blocks over during a morning walk. I find it very hard to tell individual rabbits apart, much like squirrels or chipmunks, but I think it’s more fun to assume there are lots of bunnies all over rather than just one or two highly mobile ones.
Though I don’t see them very often, I nevertheless installed a trail camera near a hole in my fence. It has provided lots of enjoyable photos of wildlife, including this super cute one (see photo). If you are curious about what goes on in your yard, along the fence line, or in the alley, then I highly recommend a trail camera. I had no idea how many critters were wandering through my yard all the time.
I am very curious about what caused this recent increase in rabbits. We have lots of wild predators with plenty of hawks and owls in the sky, and the occasional coyote on the ground. Maybe there are fewer outside cats, which could likely predate on young bunnies. Maybe there is better rabbit habitat, as the tree canopy shrinks and allows more low-level vegetation to provide cover for them. Maybe there has been a change in available food sources. Maybe after Eventide closed, the hops found a way to stay.
This is all speculation, but it’s fun to think about what brought these new, cheerful residents to the hood. They are delightfully cute, and I completely understand why Ms. Potter found them inspiring.
