Most of the survivors in the city are omnivorous animals because their main food comes from garbage dumps. Apart from food, wild rabbits have to escape predators like domesticated cats and dogs and the main food competitors, rats, are everywhere. Because of this, wild rabbits, which are herbivores, are unlikely to survive in the city.

Wild rabbits have been gradually adapting to urbanization as greening projects invite more vegetation into this environment and, because of this, their population is increasing.

Wild rabbits frequently appear in areas with wooded areas and meadows like city parks, golf courses, residential yards and campuses.

But they are still determined vegetarians; and as food foraging experts they feed on any vegetation within reach, including leafy plants, buds, branches, bark - and even their own poop, to extract additional nutrients on the second pass.

Wild rabbits have powerful legs and a camouflaged coat. Cities are generally a low-risk paradise for them since predators are less common, although sometimes they are still chased by dogs. In the wild, rabbits are very easy targets and will attract many more predators including hawks, foxes, owls, coyotes and raccoons.

Like humans, the population explosion has left rabbits living in the city with insufficient housing.

Scientists in Germany found that in order to accommodate more rabbits, they reduced the scale of their burrows and gave them fewer entrances and exits. This structure usually only houses one or two rabbits. Compared with their rural counterparts, urban rabbits have a modern lifestyle: they live in a smaller, simpler, more private, and more uniformly spaced place which can be compared to a studio apartment.

About 'City of Wild'

Nature does not only exist in faraway mountains and oceans, but also in urban cities and our daily life. In the new series City of Wild, CGTN not only unfolds a world of wildlife you've never noticed, but also shares a concept of this year's CBD COP 15 theme: "Ecological Civilization – Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth."

For more: 

City of Wild: Mallard ducks fight for 'love' in Beijing

City of Wild: Temple of Heaven and its residents during COVID-2019

City of Wild: 'Leading troops' of migrating birds arrive in Beijing

City of Wild: Birds in Beijing's Chaoyang Park welcome spring

City of Wild: The urban life of squirrels

City of Wild: Hedgehogs' secret lifestyle

(All photos via VCG)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)