The Canmore bunnies

Mention the Canmore bunnies to any dedicated gardener in South Canmore and you're sure to see them grinding their teeth while they contemplate what to say about their nemesis.

What is it about these cute furry lagomorphs that has divided the downtown area into bunny lovers and bunny haters? And where did the bunnies come from?

[Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas).]

In the mid 1980's someone released about a dozen of their domestic rabbits into South Canmore and rather than becoming coyote snacks they survived, thrived and today are the most famous residents that Canmore has.

Love 'em or loathe 'em the Canmore bunnies have made South Canmore their home, and while they don't throw wild parties, bark or even whimper, the sight of them casually munching away throughout the day seems to generate more than a little controversy.

The Town of Canmore is between a rock and a hard place on the bunny issue.

The town's animal control byelaw prohibits the trapping of the Canmore rabbits by either residents or the town, and the Fish and Wildlife officers in the province won't deal with the furry critters because they're not native to the area, having been introduced by a Canmore resident.

It even escalated to a point where in April 2006 three committee members for the Communities in Bloom event resigned, blaming the bunnies for gnawing away their spirits.

The bunny population has also been reportedly taking a road trip, with appearances in the Exshaw community a few kilometres east of Canmore.

Photo opportunities

If you want to get a few photos of Canmore's famous furry friends then the South Canmore area (1st to 5th St) is going to provide you with enough photographic material to write a book.

The best times for bunny stalking are early morning and mid to late afternoon, avoid mid-day, as like the camera crew at the height of the 2006 bunny media reporting frenzy who drove around for 2 hours in the middle of the day asking residents where the bunnies were, you won't generally see them.

Look out for the really cute baby bunnies grazing on the juiciest grass and plants they can locate, and their patient parents sunning themselves, paws outstretched and completely oblivious to the ongoing controversy, while stressed gardeners plant their bulbs and erect wire fences around their prized blooms.

Meanwhile the bunnies look on...