Fifteen young New England cottontail rabbits from a New York City zoo entered the wild in Maine.
Conservationists released six at Fort Foster Park in Kittery and four at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.
They introduced another five on Thacher Island near Rockport.
Handlers treated each rabbit with flea and tick medication before implanting a microchip for tracking.
“This release marks another vital step in restoring the New England cottontail,” said Donna-Mae Butcher, assistant curator at the Queens Zoo.
She added that joint conservation work ensures a future for this native rabbit species.
Behind-the-Scenes Breeding to Protect a Native Species
Zoo staff bred the rabbits in a controlled area replicating natural mating and nesting conditions.
Females selected their mates and raised young in calm, low-stress spaces.
Researchers kept the rabbits away from people to preserve their wild instincts.
The kits, born between May and June, reached release age by August.
Since 2016, the Queens Zoo has produced 145 rabbits for the New England Cottontail Breeding Program.
Those rabbits have joined recovery efforts across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
“Our breeding work proves how zoos can prevent species from vanishing,” said wild animal keeper Nicole Schepis.
Restoring Balance in New England’s Shrinking Habitats
Once common across the region, the cottontail has lost over 80% of its range since the 1960s.
Habitat destruction from urban development reduced forests and shrublands essential for survival.
Researchers noted the species also struggles against the eastern cottontail, which adapts better to open landscapes.
Protecting New England cottontails helps many native species that share dense woodland habitats.
This network includes birds, small mammals, and reptiles relying on the same forest cover.
The breeding program operates with partners like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Roger Williams Park Zoo.
It also involves state agencies, universities, and private landowners across the Northeast.
The Queens Zoo plans to resume breeding next spring during the rabbits’ natural mating season.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the New England cottontail as vulnerable to extinction.
