Riverine rabbit / Oewerkonyn / bushman rabbit
One of the most endangered mammals in the world, with only around 500 living adults, and 1500 overall with an extremely limited distribution area, found only in the central and southern regions of the Karoo Desert of South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. They are the only indigenous burrowing rabbit in Africa and are dependent on deep and soft alluvial soils.
Critically Endangered
Threats:
- The main threat is habitat destruction through cultivation and extensive livestock grazing.
- Predation by domestic dogs.
- Potential catastrophic events such as flooding, global climate change, fire and disease.
- Road kills.
- Lack of general awareness about and knowledge of the species.
- Inbreeding due to low population numbers.
The EWT Drylands Project are focused on the conservation & monitoring of the Riverine Rabbit around Loxton in the Northern Cape.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverine_rabbit
http://www.arkive.org/riverine-rabbit/bunolagus-monticularis
https://www.capenature.co.za/fauna-and-flora/riverine-rabbit
http://karoospace.co.za/the-rarest-rabbit/
https://www.ewt.org.za/DCP/dcp.html