You've Been Espied, Mystery Bunny

Via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which writes:

"Flopped until further notice" - New England cottontails, probably

This spring, biologist made the trek to Thatcher Island National Wildlife Refuge off the coast of MA to check in on the New England cottontail population after the long winter. Turns out, these little rabbits are living the island life and aboslutely thriving. Game cameras and radio collars revealed the bunnies are in great shape, and making the most of their new island home.

And they're not the only bunnies living their best life. The good news extends south to Nomans Land National Wildlife Refuge, where New England cottontails were released between 2019 and 2021. Monitoring in 2024 showed the population is still going strong with many hoppy bunnies recorded island-wide.

The continued success of these breeding populations is great news for New England's only native rabbit.