US EditionQueens Zoo Works to Save New England’s Rare Cottontail Rabbit
Queens Zoo has released 15 kits bred since May to Maine forests, contributing to a total of 145 rabbits bred since 2016 to aid recovery of this vulnerable native species.
- Recently, Queens Zoo transferred 15 young New England cottontail rabbits to forests in Maine; the kits were born between May and June and were ready for release by August.
- Once widespread, the New England cottontail's range has shrunk by more than 80 percent since the 1960s due to lost dense shrubland and forests and outcompetition by the introduced eastern cottontail.
- Bred behind the scenes under low-stress conditions, the kits were kept wild-ready as female rabbits chose mates and each received microchips and flea and tick medication before release.
- Release teams set the kits free across Fort Foster Park, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and Thacher Island, with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife staff, and a Maine Conservation Corps Steward carrying out the releases.
- Since joining in 2016, the Queens Zoo has contributed 145 rabbits to the New England Cottontail Breeding Program, part of a regional effort including Roger Williams Park Zoo and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; breeding will resume next year.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Breeding program at Queens Zoo helps restore vulnerable rabbit species
Fifteen young New England cottontail rabbits born at a New York City zoo have been released into the wild in Maine as part of an effort to save the only rabbit species native to New England from disappearing.
Queens Zoo breeding program helps restore vulnerable rabbit species
Fifteen young New England cottontail rabbits, the only species native to New England, born at the Bronx Zoo have been released into the wild in Maine as part of an effort to save them from disappearing.
Daily Journal
Breeding Program at Queens Zoo Helps Restore Vulnerable Rabbit Species
SUNDAY, Oct. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Fifteen young New England cottontail rabbits born at a New York City zoo have been released into the wild in Maine as part of an effort to save the only rabbit species native…
Queens Zoo works to save New England’s rare cottontail rabbit
QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A rare rabbit called the New England cottontail is losing its home because forests are getting smaller and another kind of rabbit is taking over. The Queens Zoo is working hard to help bring this unique native rabbit back from the edge of disappearing. More Local News Donna Mae Butcher, Assistant Animal Curator at Queens Zoo, explains that the New England cottontail is having a tough time because it loses its forest…
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