Predator attacks are a major cause of rabbit death and extreme welfare harm. Understanding the risks and prevention strategies keeps rabbits safe in outdoor environments.
Predator attacks represent one of the most acute and extreme welfare events possible for prey animals like rabbits. The terror of predator presence - even without physical contact - causes profound physiological stress that can be fatal through cardiac effects. Physical attacks cause traumatic injury and death. Rabbits that survive an attack may sustain severe physical injuries requiring intensive treatment or euthanasia. Even apparently uninjured survivors experience significant psychological trauma. The entirely preventable nature of predator attacks through adequate enclosure security makes predator-related rabbit welfare failures particularly significant.