Rabbits rounded up following complaints from Palm Jumeirah residents

DUBAI // Rabbits on the loose in Palm Jumeirah have been rounded up after residents complained about them gnawing away at shrubbery in a gated villa community.

Several of the furry one-time Palm Jumeirah residents have found new homes in Dubai after volunteers decided to adopt them.

Up to 15 rabbits were caught and put in cages by volunteers, who then decided to adopt several of them, a spokeswoman for developer Nakheel said.

Nakheel had set up cages two weeks ago after residents of Canal Cove voiced concerns about rabbits damaging the common green areas.

Traps were placed there and later in other areas of the Palm in which the rabbits had been seen.

“It’s been a happy outcome for many rabbits,” the spokeswoman said.

“This exercise has been successfully completed, with no further concerns raised by residents and many of the rabbits being adopted as pets by volunteers who kindly came forward on hearing about the exercise.”

Pest control specialists said being called out to catch rabbits was unusual and rodents were a more common problem.

Long-time residents recall rabbits wreaking havoc in the vegetation of Dubai Creek Park more than a decade ago.

“There were dozens of rabbits and when it got too much we had to remove them from the area in Dubai Creek Park near the Dolphinarium,” said Reza Khan, wildlife specialist at the Dubai Municipality.

“Somebody must have released a domestic rabbit and nobody noticed until there were too many. So long as they were inside the hedges, we had no problem, but once they started eating up the vegetation and the costly flowers along the paths, we had to catch them and put them into cages.”

Rabbits can cause serious damage to plants and young trees, he said.

“They can cause severe damage if uncontrolled. Rabbits keep gnawing away on vegetation so if you have woody plants, shrubs, vegetables and flowers they will nibble away and eat the best part.”

The rabbits not adopted will be taken by Dubai Zoo.