Riverine Rabbit

Tucked away in the dense, thorny shrublands of South Africa's Karoo region lives one of the world's rarest and most secretive rabbits: the Riverine Rabbit. Unlike the common bunnies you might picture, this rabbit has a distinctive, dark brown stripe running along its jawline like a neat little mustache, and it sports particularly large, fluffy ears. It is a creature of very specific tastes, living only in the soft, fertile soil found along the seasonal rivers in this dry region. Here, it digs a crucial home... Not a warren of tunnels, but a single, shallow burrow called a "form," where it rests safely during the day.

This nocturnal rabbit is so elusive that for many years it was thought to be a ghost story, but it is very real and in grave danger. The Riverine Rabbit holds the sad title of being South Africa's most endangered mammal. The destruction of its unique riverside habitat for agriculture is the greatest threat to its survival, making every remaining rabbit a precious treasure.

DID YOU KNOW?

Vulnerable at Birth

The Riverine Rabbit is one of the only rabbit species in Africa that gives birth to helpless, "altricial" babies. Most rabbits have babies that are born ready to run, but a Riverine Rabbit kit is born blind, hairless, and completely dependent on its mother, hidden safely in its burrow.

A Distant Cousin

It is a "lagomorph," not a rodent. This means it is more closely related to hares and pikas than to mice or rats. You can tell by its two pairs of upper incisor teeth, one behind the other!

K9 Assistance

Because it is so rare and hard to find, conservationists sometimes use specially trained sniffer dogs to locate its droppings (poop). This helps them figure out where these cryptic rabbits are living without ever needing to disturb them.

Photo of a Riverine Rabbit on a Camera Trap

Riverine Rabbits are South Africas most Endangered mammal.

Photo of a Riverine Rabbit

Riverine Rabbits are very habitat specific, living in thorny shrubs on seasonal river banks.

Photo of a Riverine Rabbit

Riverine Rabbits are native to the Karoo semi-desert region of South Africa

Photo of a Riverine Rabbit on a Camera Trap

Riverine Rabbits are South Africas most Endangered mammal.

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Riverine Rabbit Conservation

The conservation story of the Riverine Rabbit is a race against time. As South Africa's most endangered mammal, its survival hinges on protecting the very specific and fragile habitat it calls home: the dense, shrub-rich thickets along seasonal rivers in the Karoo. The greatest threat this rabbit faces is the ploughing of this land for agriculture, which instantly destroys its food sources and the soft soil it needs to dig its burrows.

Conservation efforts are multi-layered and urgent. They focus on working directly with farmers and landowners, who are the true guardians of the rabbit's habitat. Programs are in place to create protected corridors, restore damaged riverbeds, and even use trained dogs to find the rabbit's scat and track its populations. Every patch of preserved riverine bush is a lifeline, making the conservation of the Riverine Rabbit a critical mission to save a unique and irreplaceable part of South Africa's natural heritage.

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Cape Nature

SANBI