It was like a weird scene out of a horror movie, maybe the 1972 B-movie “Night of the Lepus” that features giant rabbits on a rampage. Except the bunnies are regular sized, and the news is strange but true. Bunnies are attacking cars at the Denver International Airport, a CBS affiliate reported on Feb. 15.
The bunnies are causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to automobiles parked at the airport.
But their behavior isn’t the result of a mad scientist’s experiment or revenge against humans carrying all those lucky rabbit feet.
No, the rabbits are attracted to the toasty warmth available under car hoods. And perhaps something is missing from their diet, as they chew on car parts.
“They like to chew on the insulator portion of the ignition cables. That’s what we see,” said Arapahoe Autotek spokesman Wiley Faris told CBS 4 Denver. He added, “That wiring harness has all the wiring for the car so it can run from the hundreds into the thousands depending on where the harness is damaged.”
Bunnies attacking cars at Denver International Airport
This is not a new phenomenon for the airport. AOL Travel, among other media outlets, reported bunny-attacking incidents in 2010. A few years later and the bunnies are still attacking cars at Denver International Airport.
Why eat the wires? Although rabbits have a tendency to chew on wires anyway, a 2010 UCD Advocate article notes cars released after 2002 have wires with insulators made out of soy-based compounds that are especially tasty to rodents.
CBS 4 also reports Denver International Airport determined it was bunnies and not other creatures because of the evidence left behind cause the damage: fur and pellets.
USAirport Parking now says it will install more fencing in hopes of keeping the bunnies out. It will also add more raptor perches for hawks and eagles, using the predators as a natural deterrent.
Another natural solution? Fox and coyote urine, which local mechanics use to coat the car wires.
“We have found a good deterrent is predator urine, you can pick up fox urine at any pro hunting shop,” Faris told CBS 4.
Local mechanics are also giving drivers a secret weapon: coyote urine. They’re coating car wires with the substance.
Auto owners who have been a victim of a bunny attack should expect some financial pain, as well. Rabbits with the munchies will also take a bite out of the owners’ wallets.
According to CBS 4, Denver International Airport and City of Denver officials said parking permits clearly state they are not responsible for any damage, and insurance companies apparently don’t cover damages either. What, no rabbit rider?
Those rascally rabbits.
