Culling of rabbits in Kelowna sparks police probe

Police are investigating allegations that the way hired contractors cull feral rabbits in Kelowna constitutes animal cruelty.

Kelowna city council contracted EBB Environmental Consulting Inc. in May to eliminate about 2,000 rabbits following complaints that the animals had swarmed the city's lawns and parks in recent years.

Gwenda Garrett, a security guard working in the city, told CBC News on Monday that while on patrol Saturday morning, she saw a man shooting a feral rabbit, then two people stomping on the animal's head.

"The bunny was flopping around on the grass and a female got out of the passenger side of the truck. She went over to where the bunny was. She stomped on it really hard four times," Garrett said.

"It was still flopping around because it didn't die yet.  Then the driver of the truck went over and stomped on it twice and it still didn't die. And then he crouched down and I believe I watched him break the rabbit's neck."

She reported the case to Kelowna RCMP, who are investigating to see whether there is evidence of animal cruelty.

"Because there is a section of the … Criminal Code that deals with cruelty to animals, we will be looking at it solely from that perspective and deciding whether or not enough evidence exists to satisfy [the] Crown that a charge should be laid," Const. Steve Holmes said.

"It all has to do with the interpretation of how the bunnies met their fate and the method used, and obviously, to people it appears to be very inhumane."

Municipal forester Ian Wilson said the city is looking into the case, adding that the workers from EBB were just doing their job.

One method being used to cull the rabbits is to shoot them with an air gun, he said.

"They use this high-power rifle that would kill the animal instantaneously, [but] there is sometimes a little bit of twitching or movement in the animals," Wilson said.

"Normally, with a single shot, it does put down the animal quite quickly and humanely. I think that's the definition of humanely, as quickly and with as little suffering for the animal as possible," he said.

EBB said the rabbit in question was dead or close to death and its muscles were twitching, so the worker simply broke its neck to finish the job.

The city is spending $54,000 on a one-year contract to get rid of the animals.

The B.C. SPCA has said that while it doesn't condone the killing of animals, the rabbit situation in Kelowna is a huge problem.