Not Your Average Easter Bunny

Hippity, hoppity......click! One of the world's rarest rabbits hopped in front of a camera trap planted by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists in an Indonesian rain forest. The photos, taken in Bukit Barisan National Park, are only the third images of the Sumatran striped rabbit ever recorded; the rabbit was last photographed there in 2000.

Before the first photo was taken in 1998, the foot-long Sumatran striped rabbit had not been seen alive since 1972. Only 15 specimens exist in museums, all dating from before 1929. The rabbit is only known to inhabit the forested, mountainous spine of its island namesake. It is listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists as Critically Endangered.

"This rabbit is so poorly known that any proof of its continued existence at all is great news and confirms the conservation importance of Sumatra's forests," said Colin Poole, director of WCS's Asia Program.

Until recently, the Sumatran striped rabbit was believed to be the sole representative of its genus. In 1999, however, scientists discovered another striped rabbit in the Annamite Mountains, which straddle Lao PDR and Vietnam. Eventhough the two species resemble each other, genetic samples revealed them to be closely related but distinct, having diverged about 8 million years ago.

Was there any special significance to the striped rabbit's Easter-time appearance? The question remains a mystery, but scientists reported that no colored eggs or baskets were found at the study site.


Posted by: Kelly    Source