I understand that not everyone likes small animals, especially rabbits, as much as me. Well, let's say I understand. But whether one loves them or not, it troubles me to see people chase them away from their yards. Yards are outside, rabbits are outside. I think they go with the territory. In a city, we are lucky to see wildlife up close. I think it is sad and wrong to see it rebuffed when we get that chance.
A man who lives on my street really likes the outside of his house to be neat. When he was chasing a rabbit away one time as my son and I played badminton on our lawn, I (somewhat) nicely yelled over to him that I like the rabbits. He said nicely that he would like them too if they didn't dig holes in his lawn. They don't dig holes. They do create very shallow dugouts where they lie down. And they use the same dugout repeatedly. It's not a big deal. And is it really that important to this man that his lawn be perfect? It's not like he has a beautiful flower garden that's getting eaten or his family's vegetables are being stolen. And I have colourful flowers that are low to the ground and very few get eaten. I coexist with the rabbits. I enjoy their presence.
I don't think I'm bothered about this just because I like rabbits. Rather, I'm bothered because I don't see the merit in protecting perfectly tidy but boring outdoor spaces. Flowers are beautiful. Trees can be beautiful. Nature is beautiful. Animals are a part of nature. When someone angrily tries to keep one element of nature away, there is less beauty. When someone tries to manipulate their outdoor space with perfectionism, it's not natural.
JAHD - This piece is dedicated to Tom, the baby rabbit who lived outside our house for a few days. Naturally.
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