The Bunnies of Campus

The Year of the Rabbit is upon us, and no better place to celebrate than the bunny paradise known as Northwestern’s Evanston campus. Take a walk around the sorority quad in the Southwest Area and you’re bound to spot a couple of rabbits grazing on the lawn just off the sidewalk. Rabbits typically don’t come to mind as urban animals, so why are there so many of them living among us]?

The answer comes down to convenience. The eastern cottontail, North America’s most common rabbit species, is not a picky eater. It feeds primarily on grasses and twigs, both of which are readily available on our woody campus. Of course, rabbits will also happily consume vegetables when available, much to the dismay of campus gardeners. 

Another important reason, however, may be a lack of predation. Creatures of prey, such as weasels and foxes, rarely frequent densely populated areas, allowing the rabbits to proliferate unchecked. Furthermore, the eastern cottontail becomes self-sufficient at just a few weeks old and sexually mature after a couple of months, causing populations to balloon when temperatures and resources allow. 

So when is the best time to see the bunnies for yourself? Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk. In my experience, early morning is the best time to go bunny watching. Moreover, rabbits do not hibernate, so you can spot them searching for food at any time of year, even now in the dead of winter. 

If you are interested in seeing the babies, I recommend waiting until spring quarter. Eastern cottontails are known to breed three to four times a year throughout the warm months (early spring through summer), giving birth to several babies in a litter. Be careful not to harm the baby bunnies, though! They are not very fast and sometimes do not demonstrate a fear of humans, so approach them with caution. 

Thanks to their large numbers and adorable appearance, the bunnies are a beloved part of the Northwestern community. In fact, the school even has a residential college, Chapin, with the rabbit as its official mascot!

“I’ve always seen them as strong despite how small they are because they’re everywhere,” said Alexis Bodrick, the communications chair of the Chapin executive board and a bunny enthusiast.

Strong indeed, for as cute as they are, cottontails don’t survive and thrive off of their looks. With their ever-increasing population and popularity, it appears that the Northwestern rabbits are here to stay and will remain a campus icon.