Wild backyard bunny hops to Winnipeg woman's call

Wild rabbits have become as common as squirrels in Winnipeg, raiding gardens, nesting in flowerbeds, scurrying about and driving dogs crazy.

While most people don't get close to the skittish critters, one woman has developed a bond with the furry mammals she calls her "children."

"I love my children. I wonder what they're doing right now," said the Winnipeg woman, sitting at her office desk Wednesday in downtown, away from her backyard brood in the North End.

The first ones showed up about three years ago. Now there are about seven.

At home, when she walks into her yard and calls, the bunnies come hopping. Well, at least one does.

While they all know she has treats, just one so far has developed the courage to come out of the hiding place near the woman's air conditioning unit.

Sometimes, the one she calls Skippy will even reach up on her leg, asking for the food.

"They like apples — Gala and Spartan, but they don't like the Granny Smith or McIntosh," she said, adding, "they're not a fan of celery. They're temperamental."

And while many people complain about the invasion on their home-grown produce, she said she has an arrangement with her backyard family.

"They don't go in the garden as long as I supply them with food," she said. "We made a deal. We didn't shake on it but it's a verbal-look kind of deal."