Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit

The last purebred Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit died in 2008, marking the end of the pure genetic line.

Population decline is widely attributed to predation and habitat loss caused by agricultural development and wildfires.

WDFW developed techniques for breeding wild and captive-bred pygmy rabbits in protected semi-wild enclosures on wildlife areas to increase numbers of individuals for release.

Due to this success, beginning in 2015, pygmy rabbits are being released into a second recovery area located on the private land of The Nature Conservancy Preserve in Grant County.

Released pygmy rabbits are closely monitored to collect data on breeding, habitat use, survival, mortalities and other factors to modify reintroduction techniques and adaptively manage the newly-formed population.