Waltham Crews Rescue Baby Bunnies

WALTHAM, MA — A city crew at work pulling up a stump out of the ground rescued two baby bunnies this week, according to a post on Waltham Animal Control’s Facebook page.

The Public Works crew collected the fuzzy critters, and called animal control when they noticed two little bunnies roll out of a nest at the base of it. And now, the bunnies are in the care of a wildlife rescue thanks to the work crew.

"Many thanks to the CPW crew working on digging this huge stump out of the ground. A couple little bunnies rolled out of a nest at the base of it, so they put them aside in a safe spot for me to collect and get to a wildlife rehabilitator who handles bunnies," the post reads.

Crews were working to pull up a stump when one of them noticed something.

When they went to dig it up, two small things tumbled out from a hole.

Baby bunnies! The crews contacted Animal Control who came to access the situation.

It's not clear what kind of rabbit it is. But, Massachusetts is home to two species of rabbit, the New England cottontail and the eastern cottontail. The latter was introduced into the state before 1900 and is now the most common rabbit in the state. The native wild New England cottontail, probably as a consequence of this competition, has become rare throughout the region, according to Mass Audubon.

Recently 13 eastern cottontails were taken out to live away from predators on one of the Boston Harbor Islands in an effort to help regrow the population.

According to Mass Audubon, the New England cottontail has a darker back, a broad black stripe on the outer edge of the ear, and usually a black spot between the ears.

The eastern cottontail has a slightly paler coat, "a cinnamon-rust nape," and a narrow black margin along the front edge and tip of the ear. And this little guy sports a white or light brown spot on the forehead.

Wild cottontails have a life expectancy of less than two years. Nearly half the young die within a month of birth. Why? Foxes, weasels, raccoons, minks, snakes, crows, and several common species of hawks and owls, are all at least partially dependent on the bunnies for food.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).