Employee holding a Pygmy rabbit

Heather McPherron holding a pygmy rabbit that was later released to the wild. The pygmy rabbit had been removed from the protected enclosure and was released to adjacent wild sagebrush habitat. On June 28th, 2013, USFWS Central Washington Field Office (CWFO) Staffer Heather McPherron assisted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) with capture and release of pygmy rabbits at the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area in recovery efforts for the species. With only one known remnant population, the pygmy rabbit was considered near extinct by 2001. In 2001, WDFW and the USFWS initiated a captive breeding program to eventually reintroduce rabbits to the wild. In 2011, protected enclosures were constructed at the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area to allow breeding on site, but in a protected environment to increase successful reproduction. Pygmy rabbits are then captured from the enclosures and released to artificial burrow sites adjacent to the protected enclosures. Once released, they are free to move about the landscape. For more information about the captive breeding program, visit: wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/pygmy_rabbit/