VANCOUVER — A disease that’s killed hundreds of feral rabbits in British Columbia has prompted a Metro Vancouver zoo to take precautions to protect its bunnies.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo says all of its rabbits have been placed under prolonged quarantine to guard against the spread of rabbit haemorrhagic disease, a virus that includes a fever and convulsions and kills a rabbit within 36 hours.
A news release from the zoo says the biosecurity measures are in compliance with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The quarantine forced the zoo to cancel several Easter weekend events, including bunny care seminars for youngsters, but the facility says its animals are healthy and it looks forward to future dates where the public can interact with its rabbits.
The disease was first reported on Vancouver Island earlier this year and B.C.’s chief wildlife veterinarian said it was the first instance of the highly infectious virus in B.C. and only its third confirmed appearance in Canada.
The B.C. government says a vaccine is not yet available in Canada but the illness only affects European rabbits and is not known to affect native North American rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, other pets or humans.