Endangered SA rabbit gets cash injection

2012-06-12 14:02

The Riverine Rabbit is endemic to SA and critically endangered. (Eric Herrmann)

Duncan Alfreds

Cape Town - The Endangered Wildlife Trust has been awarded a cheque of R270 000 to accelerate the habitat conservation programme for the endangered Riverine Rabbit.

Lindt awarded the donation on Tuesday and the environmental organisation hopes to use the money to expand the habitat protection programme for the mammal.

"We are a huge fan of the rabbit at Lindt with our gold bunny which has been an icon for over 60 years now," director of Lindt & Sprüngli marketing Marjolaine De Clavière told News24.

She said that the animals represented a good fit with the company's brand and forms part of its corporate social investment programme.

"It was also important for us to give back. We are lucky to have consumers being such great fans of our product," De Clavière said.

The Riverine Rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis) also known as the Bushman Rabbit, occurs near rivers and habitat conservation is important because the animal relies on the vegetation near rivers or riverbeds to survive.

It is endemic to the Karoo and less than 1 000 individuals are thought to exist near the towns of Touwsrivier, Barrydale, Loxton and Fraserburg areas.

The nocturnal rabbit, which grows to between 30cm and 50cm long, is under threat from dogs, road accidents and habitat loss through cultivation.


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