Twenty years ago there were only a few dozen pygmy rabbits left in the Columbia Basin, Beth Geiger writes for the Nature Conservancy. Since then, governments, universities, organizations and bunny-loving individuals have worked together to try to breed the species in captivity and restore the sagebrush habitat it depends on in the wild. They’ve gone through many ups and downs along the way. For example: A predator-proof “Hilton hotel for rabbits” helped kits survive, but the strategy depleted native sagebrush and encouraged parasite growth. Read the story to learn how the pygmy rabbit is doing today. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
