With some estimating their population has reached the hundreds, the animals have burrowed throughout Aquarian Charter School’s grounds, wreaking havoc on landscaping, distracting students and attracting larger animals.
A rabbit crosses a parking lot outside Aquarian Charter School parking lot on Nov. 15, 2024.
Second grade teacher Jessica Ossenkop and a few students take a look at rabbits outside their classroom window at Aquarian Charter School on Nov. 14, 2024. Jorgensen said pockets of feral rabbits crop up in Anchorage every year, when owners who had bought the furry pets no longer want to care for them and release them into the wild. Normally, Animal Control advises Anchorage residents to capture invasive species — such as rabbits or cats — and bring them into the animal shelter, he said.“It’s a hard solve,” Jorgensen said. “They are one of the most invasive species that we know of.”“So it becomes a growing problem,” Jorgensen said.
On Thursday, freshly discarded carrots drew several rabbits along the fence to the east. Student council members have it on their agenda to make “don’t feed the rabbits” signs and post them on school property, Nerland said. The neighboring apartment building’s landlord sent a notice to his tenants, and teachers intervene when they see neighbors dumping food, she added.
The challenge comes with a substantial cost. The rabbits have destroyed the bulk of the charter school’s newly planted $100,000 worth of landscaping, part of its 2019from the city for school repairs, Nerland said. They eat the vegetation and dig up the roots. Leaning into the humor of the school’s feral rabbit predicament, Aquarian Charter School staff members dressed in bunny costumes to celebrate Halloween this year. Feral rabbits can also introduce bigger threats, according to Cory Stantorf, the Anchorage area wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
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