The Tale Of Little Bunz

A Rags to Riches Story

(How a little bunny went from homeless in a parking lot

to becoming an internet sensation)

Humble Beginnings

Little Bunz is something of an enigma. He was found living all alone in the parking lot of a motel adjacent to an extremely busy road. He had apparently been living there for several weeks and was likely around five weeks old when he was first spotted. There was never any sign of another bunny with him and how he ended up there, all alone, is a complete mystery.

Was Little Bunz born feral? He was certainly very young to be living on the streets by himself but, even at that age, he was pretty adept at taking care of himself. Despite the fact that it was late summer, there wasn’t all that much for him to eat - mostly just the unpleasant-looking weeds that poked up between the cracks in the parking lot paving and some dry, dusty grass in the open area on the other side of the fence.

Little Bunz had found a home for himself in a space below one of the buildings and when he was out and about he often hid under a large storage container. Because bunnies are prey animals, they rely greatly upon their group to warn them of danger. Many eyes and ears make for a much safer existence. It must have been terrifying for the young bunny to be out there on his own, surrounded by cars, people, and all kinds of predators.

Several people knew that he was there; some even threw him scraps of food from time to time. But nobody did anything to help him.

To be fair, it is extremely difficult to do anything for bunnies in these circumstances. In our city, there were hundreds of feral rabbits at the time and not nearly enough rescue groups to save them all. These rescues do try, valiantly, but the problem is simply overwhelming. Beyond that, rabbit hemorrhagic disease was a looming threat by that time, making saving feral bunnies a risky business for any group that already had bunnies in their care.

The first place lonely Little Bunz called home

Little Bunz is Captured

The recommendation from those in the know was to leave Little Bunz where he was; he was not injured and was therefore not in urgent need of help. For the person that ultimately saved Bunzy, though, that was not an acceptable answer. So, a rescue plan was hatched…

The first step was to try to gain Little Bunz’s trust. That involved leaving food like carrots and commercial bunny treats, along with a bowl of water, in a secure corner of the parking lot, away from most of the hustle and bustle. Bunzy’s rescuer also spent time just pottering around in the general area, talking to him kindly and gently; just being a friend to the little bunny.

It was too hard on the nerves to keep that going for an extended period - the constant worry of what might be found the next time anybody stepped outside definitely took its toll. So step two was taken as soon as it seemed that Bunzy was comfortable sharing his space with his new friend.

One evening, Little Bunz’s new friend and a couple of like-minded people gathered together in the parking lot with a pet carrier and some fencing. The plan was to use the fencing to funnel the little bunny into a corner where he could then be guided into the carrier. His rescuer was worried, though, that this might make Little Bunz panic.

Bunzy was hopping about nearby so, just to test the plan, his friend quietly placed the carrier on the ground close to him and popped a few carrots inside. Bunzy was curious but cautious. He hopped around the door of the carrier, tantalizingly close, but he didn’t go in. His friend stood a few feet away, patiently watching Bunzy to see what he would do. After an agonizing wait of what seemed like hours (but was probably no more than a few minutes) Little Bunz’s trust in his friend overcame his hesitancy, and he hopped into the carrier.

Just like that! The carrier door was closed and Little Bunz was saved.

Little Bunz in his temporary home. All our early photos of him are a little blurry

because he could never sit still, even for a moment!

What to do With a Feral Bunny?

Capturing Little Bunz was an incredibly exciting moment and everybody involved was ecstatic. The little bunny, who had been at such risk before, was suddenly safe. But his capture immediately raised a new problem. What to do with a feral bunny? It was not likely that any rescue would take him due to a lack of capacity and the health risk he posed to other bunnies.

Fortunately, Little Bunz’s rescuer was able to take care of him for a while, giving Bunzy an opportunity to get used to life as a house rabbit with somebody he knew, as well as time to be checked by a vet before moving into a more permanent home.

Little Bunz was very pleased with that arrangement. He was warm, well-fed, and finally had a friend of his very own and he regularly rewarded his rescuer with his little dances of delight.

After spending a few weeks living with his friend he received his RHDV vaccine and, following the necessary quarantine period, Little Bunz moved into our home.

Shortly after Little Bunz moved in with us, we lost our beloved ThunderBun and, at around the same time, we also realized that Molly would not be bonded with her sister and her dad. So, we hatched a plan to see what might come of attempting to bond Little Bunz with Molly as well as with Doug, who had previously been bonded with ThunderBun.

A Bunny Lives Happily Ever After

Sweet Doug has passed away since then, so Little Bunz now lives happily in his forever home with his beautiful lady friend, Molly. The two bunnies absolutely adore each other and spend most of their days snuggling together, trying to decide which one loves the other more. The competition is intense and, thus far, no clear winner exists.

Little Bunz snuggles up to Molly as she lovingly kisses his nose

Molly can be a bit of a sour doe but Bunzy doesn’t let that affect him at all. Any time she shares her grumpy face with him, he dances around her as if to say, “Come on, it can’t be that bad! Cheer up, life is wonderful!” And Molly always finds herself having to agree with him.

What is interesting about Bunzy is that he genuinely appears to be aware of his tough start in life, and every day he shows his gratitude for what he has now. Each morning he greets us with his joyful attitude and a happy little dance. I don’t think his enthusiasm is only for the treats he is hoping to receive. Little Bunz is clearly extremely happy to be alive.

Little Bunz is not quite an internet sensation yet but he has starred in a couple of YouTube videos, and there are sure to be many more in his future. For Little Bunz, maybe the best is yet to come. Whatever his future holds, it will definitely be a happily-ever-after situation.

Rescuing Feral Rabbits

Little Bunz is something of an enigma. As a baby he lived all on his own, doing an excellent job of fending for himself. It really does seem likely that he was born feral; how else could he have known what to do at such a young age? But would a truly feral bunny have adapted so quickly and easily to living with people? Was he born in somebody’s home and handled gently, teaching him to be accepting of people? If that is true, how on earth did he end up being thrown away? Just another little baby bunny dumped because nobody wanted him? It is a mystery that, I am sure, we will never solve.

Little Bunz’s attitude to life could not be more different than our previous feral bunny, Jack. She was angry and aggressive, and she never learned to trust people. In contrast, Little Bunz is friendly, happy, and trusting. Is the difference between these bunnies the result of how they were treated before they somehow ended up on the streets? Could it be that Little Bunz never had the opportunity to learn just how mean some people can be while that fact was something that Jack learned very early in her life?

Every bunny is different, of course, and their attitudes to the challenges they face do depend on their unique personalities. There are probably as many stories of feral bunnies who were unable to adapt to life with people as there are stories of feral bunnies who are completely comfortable with the transition.

Do you have a previously feral bunny in your life? If so, is your bunny sweet and friendly like Little Bunz, or aloof and untrusting like Jack, our calico princess? Let us know in the comments what your experience has been.

Little Bunz living his best life