Hi Boz,
Besides for the illegal reason, you may want to mention that wild baby bunnies are much more stressed than our domestic bunnies. At the wildlife hospital where I work, many of the baby cottontails we get do not make it due to the stress of being handled or kept in captivity for even a short period of time. If this person really has the best interest of these bunnies in mind, they should be brought to an experienced wildlife rehabber or possibly even released to the wild now (if they are old enough... approximately 4 inches in length, eyes open, ears up, little diamond on their head is very slight. Even though they are small, at this age they are independent and not in need of the mom.. they may still hang out in the nest during the day despite being old enough to be on their own)
It is highly unlikely if this person decides to keep any of them that they will live beyond a few days.
Here is some info we have posted on the website for our rehab center re: wild cottontails as pets:
We receive " many inquiries from people who have found a wild bunny and would like to raise it at home, and/or keep it as a pet. Please understand that it is not in the best interests of the bunny to do this, nor is it in your own best interests. Wild rabbits are prey animals, consequently, they are easily stressed by being in close contact with humans - they perceive us as predators! Our wildlife rehabilitation clinic does not keep wild rabbits for educational purposes, because they are terrified of humans. Wild cottontail rabbits are not the same species as domestic pet bunnies, and even a wild bunny raised from a baby will not grow up to be tame. Both young and adult rabbits can die simply from the stresses of being handled, being around domestic cats & dogs, hearing loud household noises, etc. For more information, please read our complete set of articles on
keeping wild animals as pets."
Perhaps you can encourage the person to adopt a rabbit in need of a home if they really would like to commit to caring for a bunny.
