I was moving my soaker hoses and pulling a few weeds yesterday morning when I noticed the bunny nest was puffing out a bit above ground. Curiosity got the best of me and I peeled back the bunny fur and straw with a small stick and three little sets of bunny buns started wiggling around. I didn’t want to disturb them any further, so I put back the straw and fur and patted it down. Pop! The next thing I know I was face to face with one of the babies.
He wobbled to the edge of my raised bed and stopped. I circled around behind him in hopes of corralling him back into his nest. I leaned in and another bunny shot out of the nest like a mini geyser. He took one look at me and panicked. He attempted to hop away, but being new to the whole hopping maneuver, he more or less lumbered to the edge of the raised bed and tumbled over into the daylily bed below.
I was more concerned that the second one wouldn’t be able to get back up into the raised bed so I went after him first. Please, let’s not mention the absurdity of collecting rabbits TO PUT BACK into your garden. One look at those tiny little ears and the wiggling nose and I was toast.
Bunny Number Two did not want to be caught. He didn’t move very fast but I didn’t want to accidentally step on him or snap off any of my daylily scapes so it was a delicate process. Bunny Number One was still in the raised bed and had moved a little closer to the nest. I approached him, and he just blinked at me. I was pretty sure I could pick him up.
I ran to the garage and got some gloves. I very slowly moved my index and thumb toward the nape of his tiny neck and lifted him. For a moment a shut my eyes tight because I was afraid he was going to scream. You haven’t heard bloody murder until you’ve heard a rabbit scream. Two-year-old human babies in a full tantrum have nothing on screaming rabbits. Thankfully Bunny Number One stayed silent. I plopped him back into the nest (presumably on Bunny Number Three who was still sleeping).
I resumed chasing after Bunny Number Two who had now gone about 25 feet from the nest into our arborvitae hedge. I ran back into the garage and grabbed a small bucket. After some scrambling, I managed to trap him between my outstretched hand and some pound-in edging. I lowered the bucket over him and coaxed him to one side. Then I gently flipped over the bucket and hurried back to the nest. I dumped him out on top of his siblings. All was well again.
I poked my head in the door of the house and yelled for my husband to come outside and see my bunny collection. We snuck up to the nest, but the top was cleared away and it was empty. Once those little balls of fur got a taste of freedom there was no turning back. There were now three baby bunnies hopping awkwardly throughout my flowerbeds.
I don’t know if they eventually went back to their nest or not. I’m too afraid to poke around near there for fear they’ll start shooting out in all directions again.
My bunny wrangling days are over.