Kelowna rabbit exterminators call for RCMP protection

The fight to get rid of the rabbit population in Kelowna has taken an ugly turn.

A Lower Mainland company has been hired to cull hundreds of feral bunnies living in the city, but just how they plan to get rid of the rabbits has become the subject of heated debate.

Some residents don't want the furry critters touched and are threatening to take some strong measures.

City forester Ian Wilson said the pest control company is concerned because it's now being threatened with violence and people at the firm have spoken to the RCMP to request protection.

"There has been some threats recently, some e-mails and things threatening potential violence or vandalism," Wilson said on Wednesday.

The date the cull will start remains a well-guarded secret, but the city did make public on Wednesday the methods the company will use to get rid of the bunnies.

Contractors will cull the critters using several methods, including live-trapping them, and shooting others with a special air rifle, said Wilson.

Some of the trapped animals will be released in the wild. Others will be euthanized and used as food for birds of prey at wild animal rescue shelters, said Wilson.

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