Many government and some nonprofit organizations are looking out for the riparian brush rabbit. While the organizations do vary in focus, they all have similar goals for the recovery of the riparian brush rabbit including:

• Habitat restoration, expansion, and protection

• Captive breeding programs and population monitoring

• Policy creation and enforcement

• Funding restoration/recovery efforts

Considered endangered by California since 1994 under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and federally since November 21st, 1997 under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the battle to save the riparian brush rabbit has been ongoing and met with various successes and failures (William, 1998). In 1998, a San Joaquin upland species recovery plan was created which included the riparian brush rabbit as one of the species targeted to save during the restoration, a document which can be read here and the following organizations have worked to fulfill:

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River Partners Mounding on the Help:

One nonprofit fighting for the protection of the riparian brush rabbit is River Partners. Their focus is on designing habitat supplements, making environments full of native shrubs like California blackberries and roses, where the rabbits can be protected from predators, and making bunny mounds, a flood refugia which rabbits can run to during floods for protection. Through their efforts, riparian brush rabbit casualties will be lower from predation and flooding (Design for the Riparian Brush Rabbit, 2017). Click here to learn more about River Partners

 

Caswell Memorial State Park, Savior of the Riparian Forest:

This 258 acre state park is home to some of the best preserved riparian forest in the Central Valley. This refuge has become one of the few places left in the world to have riparian brush rabbits. Their focus is on protection and expansion of the riparian brush rabbit population and habitat. The park brings awareness to the rabbit along with other endangered species in the San Joaquin riparian forests and works to enforce protections of these animals (Caswell Memorial State Park, 2015). Additionally, Caswell Memorial State Park works with adjacent property owners to acquire private property, however this has been meant with little success. During flooding, Caswell Memorial State Park officials will go out on boat and do water rescues of trapped rabbits, saving the day whilst protecting the habitat for future ones (William, 1998). Click here to learn more about Caswell Memorial State Park

 

California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Behind the Scenes Hero:

This government department has focused much more on the behind the scenes aspects of protecting the riparian brush rabbit. It has funded the research and censuses of the population in 1993, 1996, and 1997. Protection has also been a focus of the California Department of Parks and Recreations, creating a fireroad through Caswell Memorial State Park to allow for easy fire truck access since fire risk is a chief concern in the park. Another program run by parks and recreations is feral animal control, helping prevent unnecessary deaths from animals like squirrels, dogs, and cats (William, 1998). Click here to learn more about California Department of Parks and Recreations  

 

The Endangered Species Recovery Program, Securing the Future:

Run out of University of California, Stanislaus, the endangered species recovery program has run captive breeding programs since November 28th, 2001 (Riparian Brush Rabbit Recovery, 2016). Their efforts have led to the reintroduction of 325 riparian brush rabbits by 2005 (Hamilton, Kelly, Williams, Kelt, Wittmer, 2010). After reintroduction, the university also traps and monitors the reintroduced population with censuses and radio trackers, allowing the university to better understand into what is killing the rabbits. Along with trapping, the program also studies the genetic diversity of the reintroduced riparian brush rabbits and focuses on strengthening the genetic diversity, securing a successful future for the rabbits who are reintroduced (Kelly P., Matocq M., , Rippert J. , and Phillips S., 2017). Click here to learn more about the endangered species recovery program

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The American Society of Mammalogists, Saving the ecosystem one bunny at a time:

The American Society of Mammalogists makes refuges for the rabbits who lost their habitats. Their goal is to prevent wildfires and decrease habitat loss. creating high quality habitats with good ground cover, helping to reduce exposure of rabbits. The American Society of Ma,,a;ogist have also created escape cover and flood refugia in strategic locations throughout the refuge. They too helped to release over 325 captive-born rabbits at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge between July 2002 and July 2005, and help to monitor 312 of these rabbits with chips, assessing spatial and habitat selection (Kelt, 2014). Click here to learn more about the American Society of Mammalogists

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Legally Protected!

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If there is still no reason to not protect riparian brush rabbits, here are all the federal and state laws one could be violating if they were to ever do anything to the endangered riparian brush rabbit:

• In California State Parks it is an $1000 dollar fine and/or 90 day in jail for killing, hurting, trapping, or feeding                                    a wild animal (General Provisions, 2017)

• Under California State Law Penal Code 597 it is unlawful to torture, wound, or kill an animal and violators                                           can service jail time and/or will be fined up to $20,000 (California Code, Penal Code - PEN § 597, 2017).

• Under the Endangered Species Act it is $50,000 dollar fine and/or one year of imprisonment                                                    (Penalties and Enforcement, 2017)