Rabbit colony takes over Garson neighbourhood

A cute and cuddly creature has become a nuisance to some in a Sudbury neighbourhood, after a couple released a herd last spring.

When Darren Hood's wife saved a wild rabbit from the mouth of a cat, he thought it would be nice to have a few more rabbits in his Garson community.

He bought a wild male rabbit for his female last year — but the result was more than he bargained for.

"Fourteen more got made over the course of the winter,” Hood said.

“And, as soon as it became springtime, we let them all go thinking that they'd go across the road towards the pond. [But] they just stayed around the yard."

The herd now stretches across several streets.

Neighbours report they've spotted up to 70 rabbits in the area.

'Tearing up' the neighbourhood

Hood said the situation has become an attraction for parents and their children, and some residents have even placed ads on Kijiji to find new homes for them.

But not everyone is feeling good about the situation.

“They're tearing up the base around my tree,” said resident Ben Slawvey. “They're eating my rhubarb. They're digging holes all around my yard."

Slawvey killed some with a sling shot.

Hood said he thinks that's going too far.

"It's surprising to see just a simple rabbit would change some of the neighbours’ ways."

Hood doesn't want to see any more killed, so he's recaptured the mother rabbit that gave birth last winter, and said he plans to bring her babies to a farm — far from the Garson neighbourhood.