Pet Rabbits on the Run in Collier Neighborhood

More than 100 colorful pet rabbits are romping and on the run in a Naples-area neighborhood where a breeder let several loose more than a year ago. 

Multiple breeds of long-eared, floppy-eared and fluffy pet rabbits of just about every color are roaming the yards and streets of the Orange Tree neighborhood of Golden Gate Estates. And no one is hopping to their rescue. Instead, several residents feed them, and other people scurry to protect their gardens.

With rabbits' prolific breeding habits, a small number of bunnies let loose more than a year ago quickly became a large population. That they are domestic and not native has been confirmed by Domestic Animal Services (DAS), rabbit rescues and vets.

“Some people think the rabbits are nice. Some people think they’re a nuisance,” said Orange Tree resident Jane Aller as she walked the Orange Tree neighborhood during a mid-August sunset, spotting numerous colorful rabbits along the way and noting aloud which ones survived, which ones seemed to be missing and who among their herd was recently found deceased.

Some eat directly from people’s hands, occasionally standing on their hind legs. Others lounge in the distance, back legs sprawled behind them with their distinctive furry hind feet to the sky.

The Orange Tree housing community has the largest domestic pet rabbit colony reported in Collier County. But they’re not alone. 

Similar domestic pet rabbit breeds are being reported — dead and alive— in East Naples, Naples Park, Bonita Springs, and especially at one of the longest-established rabbit colonies in Fort Myers, said Jennifer Macbeth, president of Southwest Florida House Rabbit Rescue. That herd of rabbits originated from an animal hoarding case that eventually ended, but the rabbits live on, Macbeth said.

“I saw so many bunnies. I was so amazed. They’re beautiful, and it’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Brock Brewer, a teen walking with friends through Orange Tree this summer, watching rabbits frolic in the nearby landscaped yards.

"The community changed name, but the problem is always the same,” as Monica Mitchell of East Coast Rabbit Rescue, based out of West Palm Beach. 

East Coast Rabbit Rescue is perhaps best known for an attempt to address a similar colony of pet rabbits gone wild in Wilton Manors, a pet case that made national headlines throughout 2023. At an expense of tens of thousands of dollars, the nonprofit rescued nearly half the colony, only to watch the population continue to ebb and flow when several residents rejected the rabbit rescue efforts.

Mitchell and MacBeth are two rabbit rescue leaders who have long been aware of the rabbit colony in Orange Tree as well, they said. 

SWFL House Rabbit Rescue has helped find homes for several domestic rabbits from Orange Tree, said Macbeth. “They are some of the friendliest rabbits,” she added. 

This makes them highly adoptable if their healthcare needs are also moderate. Not many veterinarians can treat bunnies, said Macbeth.

Not all residents want the rabbits rescued.

“There is no problem here,” maintains Orange Tree resident Ken Aller as he feeds sourdough bread to two domestic bunnies visiting his yard on August 9.

Rabbit experts warn that bunnies should not be fed grains, nuts, too much fruit, or high sugar vegetables, such as carrots, but Aller assesses that the rabbits look well— except for the fast-moving traffic that leads to him burying several he’s named over the months, including Snowball and Snowflake, among more than a dozen others. 

Several residents of Orange Tree also offer the domestic species of rabbits their optimal diet of grass hays, supplemented by greens, such as dandelion and kale, as well as commercial rabbit pellets. Mostly, the bunnies munch on the lawns, with the weeds being among the healthiest part if untreated by chemicals. A native eastern cottontail occasionally hops along as well but does not come close to humans, even for a snack.

James Caputi and his daughter Raelyn, five, enjoy the rabbits, they said. 

“This is a beautiful neighborhood. I don’t see the rabbits as a problem. They are perfectly fine here,” Caputi said. 

Around the corner, however, are residents who aren’t as fond of the numerous pet rabbit varieties romping loose in the neighborhood. Seeing the domestic bunnies' frequent deaths is traumatic for many residents, whether they want the population to stay or prefer they be contained and rescued.

Darrell Tourtillott has attempted to catch the pet rabbits in his yard to no avail. Meanwhile, his dog has eaten several of them and became sick from eating rabbit feces, Tourtillott said. 

The dog recovered, and Tourtillott’s neighbors have found ways to protect their gardens, such as fencing, granulated fox urine, and other methods, they said. The practice of using a pellet gun to scare the rabbits this spring seems to have ceased in August, neighbors reported.

Collier County DAS officers said the government agency does not have the resources to capture the domestic rabbits. Instead, if people purchase traps and bring the rabbits to DAS, the animal shelter staff will take them in and help find the rabbits’ homes, DAS officers said.

The South Florida climate is particularly difficult for European rabbit species, said Macbeth. The rabbit activity is observed a bit less in the summer, with them being out of their shaded hiding places less frequently, according to visits by the reporter and accounts from residents. Still, a walk near dusk or dawn is a unique experience in Orange Tree with more colorful bunnies than any other domestic animal in sight.

Even though the rabbits may not be native species, most people said they would prefer to let nature create balance and allow the rabbits to live free, with some food and other support from humans.

The rabbits most commonly observed cause of death is from traffic, the Allers report and rescue agencies confirm. 

“This is not exactly something you want your neighborhood to be known for,” said Orange Tree resident Joey Threlkeld. “But it’s grown on us. We love having them out here,” added Trelkeld, whose garage provides occasional domestic rabbit shelter.

The Allers are monitoring the Orange Grove Trail, attempting to slow down the traffic to make a safer way for the rabbits.

Rabbit Resources

- Contact Southwest Florida House Rabbit Rescue for assistance in Collier and Lee Counties and surrounding areas with domestic bunnies, which can usually be distinguished by characteristics such as coloring and longer ears. If in doubt if the rabbit is domestic or a native species, rabbit professionals can assist in distinguishing it. Email swflrabbits@gmail.com or call 410-382-2433.

- Wild rabbits, such as eastern cottontail and marsh rabbits, needing assistance can be helped by contacting the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s von Arx Wildlife Hospital, which is located at 1495 Smith Preserve Way, near Naples Zoo off Goodlette Frank Road in Naples. Call 239-262-CARE (2273). The Wildlife Hospital is open for wildlife intake from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day, including weekends.