NORFOLK, Va. — Is there another bunny boom happening in Hampton Roads right now?
Typically, you may see one or two rabbits in your neighbor’s yard when you go for a stroll.
But this summer, once again, you may see double or even triple that.
After seeing bunny sightings across Hampton Roads posted on social media last June we reported on the potential rabbit population surge.
One man in Virginia Beach reported seeing 28 of them during a walk that month.
Once again, people are reporting similar stories in our region – and many factors are at play, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The rabbit population is cyclical, with boom-and-bust years. When they boom, they boom…you’ve heard the idiom "breed like rabbits."
According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, a male cottontail and its doe can multiply into 25 rabbits in less than a year!
And right now, is when their mating cycle peaks.
We also had another mild winter, which means they may have started breeding earlier in the year than usual.
Wildlife officials also say there may be fewer predators like foxes around town.
But the problem with officially calling it a rabbit boom, though, is that it’s hard to track the actual population.
According to wildlife officials, rabbits have short lifespans, and by the time any research is collected, a cycle could have ended.
But based on reports from our viewers, it’s been another exceptionally good year for cottontails in Hampton Roads.