Bothersome Bunny
I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts are mine. Psalm 50:11 (KJV)
Bunnies are 100% adorable until it is time to plant that garden. Then they become a real nuisance! I don’t need to explain much. Louis Lotz (All God’s Creatures) writes about the humorous adventures he has had with these cute (yet obnoxious) creatures.
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He’s back. I saw him again this morning, strolling down the rows in my vegetable garden like a shopper in the grocery story—Sylvilagus floridanus, the eastern cottontail rabbit. Rabbits can, and will, eat just about any garden plant they can reach—beans, carrots, lettuce, spinach, peas. They don’t seem to like artichokes, but neither do I, so I don’t grow them.
I’ve tried all manner of repellents. Scented-soap shavings placed in little drawstring bags? Been there, done that, didn’t work. Fake snakes, owls and hawks? Scarecrows? Don’t waste your time. One day I was walking out to the garden when I spied the bunny sitting at the base of my scarecrow, nibbling at the hay that was leaking from its trouser leg. He didn’t look scared. I tried mothballs, and that worked great; I didn’t see a single moth. But the rabbit was undeterred. There was a chemical repellent that stinks to high heaven. I sprayed it on my veggies, and then they stunk to high heaven, and when I came in the house after working in the garden, my wife sniffed and said, “What did you do, roll in the manure pile?” I suppose fencing is an option, but I have a huge garden. Besides, I don’t like fences.
For a long time, the rabbit made me angry. I got annoyed just thinking about him. But one morning I saw him out of the corner of my eye just sitting there, waiting for me to finish weeding so he could have breakfast, and I thought: He’s just earning a living, doing what comes naturally. God made us both, and in the ecological scheme of things, he has the right to exist. If he consumes ten cents worth of lettuce, so what? Maybe I should adopt that attitude toward other living things in life that annoy me.
I think maybe I’ve finally found a rabbit strategy that works - plant enough for both of us.
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There are two great life-lessons in this for us. We are not the only ones on this planet and we must learn to share space. Also, giving thanks for anything in a garden that grows is a true miracle.
Heavenly Father, sometimes we forget that we must share. We have come to believe that we are the most important creatures on earth—but You made it all. Help us to give thanks when we feel territorial and protective. Teach us to love all forms of life. AMEN.