28 bunnies are rescued and find a happy in Farmall

Last year Meahni Pieterse, the founder of the Berario Bunnies rescue organisation based in Fairland, was contacted by a resident living on a plot in Honeydew about a bunny problem.

Members of the public had been dumping their unwanted pet rabbits on the property for some time, who had then bred and started causing problems for the residents. Worried about the well-being of the animals and not wanting them to come to any harm, Pieterse started working on catching the rabbits, who now have a safe and happy home in Farmall.

“I was contacted by Lynn Kilfoil last year. She lives on the plot where the bunnies had moved in and she needed help removing them off the plot as they were in danger of being shot,” she told the Fourways Review.

“The bunnies were eating the crops which made them very unpopular. Lynn needed urgent help getting them removed from the plot as it was almost time for the crops to be planted.

“[Berario Bunnies] trap, sterilise and home feral bunnies that otherwise would not survive the harsh conditions of living in the ‘wild’. Bunnies are domesticated animals, they are not indigenous to South Africa, and should not be living under these circumstances. They are prey animals and have no real natural survival instinct. Even though it may appear otherwise, they sadly die as easily as they breed.”

It took a few months to catch all the rabbits on the Honeydew plot, which had plenty of bunny-sized hiding places. Eventually, volunteers managed to catch 58 living rabbits – but then the problem became what to do with them.

“A lot of the bunnies were babies and could be adopted as family pets, but the adults were just too wild and scared of humans. I can honestly say, as hard as it was to catch them on the plot, finding a permanent home for them was the hardest part of the entire rescue project.”

Thanks to the kindness of family members and fosters, the rabbits found temporary homes – but more permanent homes were needed. After searching for months, Pieterse approached Nahla’s Farm Sanctuary in Farmall and asked them if they’d be willing to help.

“Nahla’s Farm Sanctuary is a place where we care for farm animals,” explained Gabby Stols, who co-founded the organisation with her husband earlier this year.

“We are currently working on registering as a non-profit organisation and care for about 82 animals right now.”

Pieterse and Stols had met previously when the Stols adopted from Berario Bunnies.

“She is the kindest, most caring person you could ever meet,” Pieterse said of Stols.

“She agreed immediately to take them. She only requested that Berario Bunnies build the enclosure [where they would live] and help with the funding of caring for the bunnies until Nahla has registered their non-profit organisation and starts to receive funding. I felt that was a pretty fair deal considering how hard it had been to find a home for them.”

Pieterse got to work planning the enclosure: She appealed to the public for funding and started looking for volunteers who could help clear the area at the sanctuary and build the bunnies a new home. On 19 January the volunteers came together at the new site to build the structure and give the rabbits a safe and happy place to live, and on 19 March the bunnies were released in their new home.

“So many people came to help out on our first day. Thereafter we created Facebook events and invited people to join by volunteering some of their time. Sadly, these invitations never drew any volunteers, but we managed with the help we had and I am forever grateful to those who did offer up their time.”

If you would like to find out more about this organisation, you can visit the Berario Bunnies Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BerarioBunnies/) or email berario.bunnies@gmail.com; or contact Meahni Pieterse 083 679 2243.

There are a few volunteers who deserve to be mentioned and they are Jodi Blyth and Bruce Bester (who became part of the Berario Bunnies team last year), Katherine Draxl, Hazel Galleymore, Miklox Szurdoki, Lizelle Botha, Athena Coertze, Elia Tsouros and my sister Lené Kirstein.

“I would also like to thank those who donated building materials and of course those who donated funds for the building materials, especially Glenda Maguire, Alon Levin, Cassandra Pireu and Vivienne Dunnington – although there are many more who deserve thanks too.”

It has been over two weeks and the rabbits are settling in nicely.

“The rabbits are doing really well,” explained Stols.

“Some of them were very scared, but they are learning that they are safe now.”

Pieterse agrees. “They are all settling in nicely. I get really emotional when I see them hopping away, enjoying life compared to the fate that was waiting for them at the plot.”

Although these rabbits are finally being cared for the way they deserve, there are plenty more bunnies who need help. Pieterse invites the public to contact her organisation and get involved in caring for animals who cannot take care of themselves.

“We are so desperate for help. We need funds for the sterilisation and other medical costs or food for the 100-plus bunnies we feed every day, volunteers to help when we catch bunnies, and homes, we are so so desperate for homes. Currently, donations are made by the general public, if we could receive corporate sponsorship we could do so much more.

“Anyone who has a nice-sized secure area in their garden who would be willing to home some bunnies. It can be two rabbits, four, 10, as long as it’s not a single, lonely bunny. They are such social creatures and end up being very sad and lonely if kept on their own. And of course, anyone who, like Nahla’s Farm Sanctuary, has a plot with ample space where an enclosure could be built and bunnies homed safe and sound with access to food, water, and proper shelter.”

Berario Bunnies has a number of rabbits up for adoption, both virtually and in real life. You can also watch a video of the enclosure’s construction here:

Related article:

https://www.citizen.co.za/fourways-review/258370/tuesday-life-hack-get-creative-easter-prep/