Legal Battle Looms as Conservationists Push for Endangered Status for Idaho’s Pygmy Rabbits

Conservation groups announced plans to sue the federal government for not deciding whether tiny rabbits in Idaho and nearby states should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. They sent a letter to the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, saying the government missed the deadline to make a decision about the pygmy rabbits.

The groups involved—Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity, and Earthjustice—requested that the rabbits be listed as endangered. Earlier this year, the agencies agreed that the listing might be needed but have not yet made a final decision.

Pygmy rabbits, the smallest rabbit species globally, weigh less than one pound when fully grown. They live in sagebrush areas across Idaho, its neighboring states, and California. Their scientific name, Brachylagus idahoensis, refers to their discovery in Central Idaho in the 1800s.

The conservation groups are concerned that shrinking sagebrush habitat, increasing wildfires, and a severe rabbit disease threaten the pygmy rabbits. A small population in Washington was given endangered status in 2007.

The groups’ letter claims that the Fish and Wildlife Service broke the Endangered Species Act by not deciding within a year of their March 2023 petition. The agency initially found the rabbits might need protection in January but has not completed the necessary status review.

Officials from the conservation groups warned that the delay endangers the pygmy rabbits. Randi Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity said, We’re watching the slow-motion extinction of these adorable rabbits while the Fish and Wildlife Service drags its feet.

The groups’ attorneys stated they will sue if the Fish and Wildlife Service does not make a prompt decision.