Residents in Calgary’s northwest communities have noticed dwindling numbers of white-tailed jackrabbits when there is typically an abundance and they’ve asked Calgary police to investigate.
Sage Hill, Nolan Hill and Evanston are just a few neighbourhoods whose residents say there are fewer rabbits around, but also several are turning up dead in the past week.
"They vanished. People have been finding them dead, on sides of their houses, or backyard, posed on their lawns, or on porches," said Sage Hill resident Sarah Halprin, who began looking for answers on social media after noticing fewer rabbits in the green space near her home.
"There wasn’t a moment that you would look outside and see one running around."
Residents in Evanston have also reported suspicious looking piles of food, birdseed, bread and sand near a playground on Evans Park Way.
A city spokesperson told CTV News a Bylaw officer responded and called in the hazardous materials team to remove it, but could not confirm if the item was hazardous.
Calgary Police Service officers also attended and interviewed witnesses.
While the Calgary Humane Society is not the lead investigator in this case, it says there are consequences for intentionally harming wild or domestic animals.
"There are generally accepted practises for pest control but I am not aware of any rabbit species that are on that list so this could very well be a criminal code offence," said Brad Nichols, senior manager of Animal Cruelty Investigations.
Calgary police are asking anyone with information about potential rabbit poisoning to get in touch with them.
