Black Rabbit in North Yorkshire

[coasty]

Having recently read Dougs post on a black rabbit sighting. I was amazed to see one up in my area. Two days ago I took a slightly different route to work to avoid roadworks and was tootling along and spied a bunch of feeding bunnies on the grass verge. As I passed them I was sure I saw a black bunny in amongst the group However wasnt 100% that it wasnt a roadkill crow laid amongst them . Yesterday did same route and no black bunny,,,,
But this morning did the route again and sure enought there was the little black fellow tucked in amongst the others....

So Dog I mean Doug your cousins are alive and well and moving North,,,,

Ansy

[badgerwatcher]

I've been seeing one on the hills here too. Is it a recessive gene?

[ronscams]

On the A49 between Ludlow and Wooferton there were always young black rabbits seen eating on the grass verge every spring, but never saw them grow into adults.

[Anyanka]

I saw a black rabbit on Reigate Heath (East Surrey) recently. Are they descendants of escaped pets, or a natural occurrence?

When I was a teen in Northern Germany, my mother fostered a wild black rabbit which the neighbour's cat had caught and injured slightly. It lived with us for a few weeks or months, ran free around the house, even climbing onto our placid Irish Setter when she lay down, but settled back into the wild quite well after a full recovery. I've been told that 'proper' rabbits don't ever get that tame, which makes me assume that it was either a released pet or the son of one.

[wildherbalian85]

I have seen a black rabbit here on the grass hill next to eastern road.

[dottie30]

I was driving to Northallerton today and spotted a black rabbit.I live in Tyne and Wear and have seen them aound here

[dottie30]

In reply they are breeding from domestic rabbits that have escaped

[Pete Collins]

I saw one near Chalfont St Giles, Bucks., on Wednesday.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by dottie30

In reply they are breeding from domestic rabbits that have escaped

Well, all rabbits are that, in effect. But the original rabbits that were introduced included some black ones (and various other colours) as those with different coloured fur were more highly valued. Difficult to know if the black rabbits we see now are from the original genes or from recently escaped pets - which some undoubtedly are.

henrya

[Swirlything]

I've seen several black rabbits hanging about by the railway tracks where I live (south wales). Interesingly there seem to be a lot of 'blonde' ones as well- not the usual greyish brown, but a bright cream/gold colour. Never seen blonde rabbits anywhere else apart from a pet shop lol.