Enderby Island rabbit facts for kids
The Enderby Island Rabbit is a very rare type of European rabbit. It's also known simply as the Enderby rabbit. These special rabbits came from Australia in October 1865. They were brought to Enderby Island, a small, uninhabited island in New Zealand’s Auckland Islands. The idea was to provide food for sailors who might get shipwrecked there.
For over 130 years, these rabbits lived alone on Enderby Island. Because they were isolated, they slowly became a unique kind of rabbit. In the early 1990s, the rabbits were removed from the island to help protect other native wildlife. Luckily, in September 1992, a group of 49 Enderby Island Rabbits was saved by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. Today, rabbit breeders work hard to keep this special breed alive. They make sure the rabbits are purebred by keeping careful records and using a special "Z" tattoo on their ears. There are usually about 100 to 150 Enderby Island Rabbits in the world.
What Do Enderby Island Rabbits Look Like?
Enderby Island Rabbits are mostly silver-grey. Their fur has a dark, slate-blue color underneath. Their heads, ears, and tails are very dark, sometimes even black.
Special Colors
A small number of Enderby Island Rabbits are born cream or beige. This happens because of a special gene. When they are born, baby rabbits (called kits) are either black or cream. As they grow older, their silver color starts to show. Adult Enderby Island Rabbits usually weigh about 2 kilograms (around 4.4 pounds).
