As anyone who has spent any moderate amount of time at Lawrence can attest, this campus is filled with bunnies. We’ve got fast ones, fluffy ones, relaxed ones, baby ones, social ones and chubby ones (though honestly the list could go on and on). Our campus seems to contain just about every type of “bun” you could ever hope to see. This is something, I believe, that we need to be more conscious of (and celebrate) as well as get more credit for. I mean, seriously, bunnies are some of the cutest animals out there. Their big, brown eyes are enchanting and pure. Their noses are so fast and silly. In Wisconsin, we are lucky enough to have cottontails in particular because, come on, who isn’t simply delighted by those white puffballs? My favorite part, however, is when a bunny rears up on its hind legs and exposes that soft-looking tummy. The list of their cute attributes would be enough to fill this article.
In order to appreciate these beautiful, furry creatures, I think we must know more about them. What goes on in their tiny minds? The particular bunny that we have here at Lawrence is named the eastern cottontail or Sylvilagus floridanus (in other words, if you get one as a pet, the name Sylvia or Florida would be extremely appropriate). According to A. W. Allen, a writer for the U.S. Department of the Interior, “The essential components of eastern cottontail habitat are an abundance of well-distributed escape cover (dense shrubs) interspersed with more open foraging areas such as grasslands and pastures.” In this way, it seems as if our campus is the perfect habitat for our furry friends! Other fun facts about these creatures are that they can reach up to 18 miles per hour running/hopping around, and also that they are very territorial with a home range of usually five to eight acres. The more you know.
In my opinion, the “Bunners of Lawrence” bring us closer as a community. They are the furry glue that holds the school together, the underappreciated tail-wiggling bundles of joy that give us strength. More times than I can remember I have walked upon a crowd of people all standing as still as possible, watching a bunny nibble on leaves and hop around. Just as many times, I, too, have started bunny-watching groups inadvertently. I have even had conversations with people I don’t know about how blessed we are to have been graced by a bunny so close to us, or about how cute they are. And if these bunny-bonding experiences aren’t the most Lawrence activities, I don’t know what are. In a different way, too, bunnies create wonderful people-watching opportunities. Even seen a group of drunk people marvel over bunnies simply going about their business? There is almost nothing equally entertaining.
In conclusion, I strongly feel that bunnies deserve more attention, and that we as a school feel proud of our extensive population. So next time you are graces with their presence, feel proud, and let yourself watch it for a while. You might even make some friends.
