There are still bunnies out there

As dead as the winter (and spring in Saskatchewan) can be, there is always something nice living on campus.


Cute little bunny rabbits! The campus of the University of Regina is home to a number of rabbits that like to hop around and generally make this university a more delightful place to study. The presence of bunnies on campus is a small thing. It’s something people might not appreciate that much, but occasionally it’s nice to reflect on the rabbits and just enjoy their innocence.


Who doesn’t like to be sitting on the green and see some bunnies hopping around, nibbling on a shoot of grass? Who doesn’t stop and say “aww” when they are walking outside in the bitter winter cold and a pure white rabbit leaps across their path? Who hasn’t named at least one rabbit that they see on a regular basis? My favourite rabbit is named Reginald and he lives somewhere between the Kinesiology Building and Campion College.


The rabbits also live in the fields around campus and like to hop across the road quite often, so it’s important to watch out for them. There’s nothing worse than seeing a bunny rabbit run over and killed. I’m always especially careful on the curve in the road nearest to the Kinesiology Building. That seems to be the place where they hang out the most.


Of course, bunny rabbits do have their problems. They burrow holes in athletic fields, which are of great danger to athletes who might seriously hurt themselves if they step in a hole. They also could potentially harm the structure of buildings by burrowing under them. Finally, although very cute, the rabbits are indeed wild animals and can pass diseases to humans. Their bites can give tetanus to the unfortunate rabbit admirer.


In fact, at the University of Victoria, the authorities have had to resort to culling bunny rabbits (originally abandoned by their owners on campus) at night so that students did not disrupt the work of animal control agents. Further, they have designated the campus a rabbit-free zone and are humanely trapping and killing the nearly 900 rabbits that were on campus. Although the university looked at other options, this was deemed necessary for the safety of students.

So even though the bunny rabbits here are cute and I’ve already named one Reginald, it’s best to keep your distance and not feed them. As much as they add an air of adorability to campus, they are still wild animals and should be treated as such.


Following an intense students’ union election, a winter that just doesn’t want to end, and all the chaos in the world, it’s nice to be able to look outside and see that rabbits are still cute and we can enjoy their company. That is, at least until we start receiving reports of Rabbit Flu.