Arizona Sees Rabbit Populations Rebound After Years Of Decline

In 2018, a disease started that killed thousands of rabbits in the southwest. In 2020, this disease spread rapidly and wiped out local rabbit populations. Not enough to push them towards endangerment, but enough to be noticeable. As of 2026, though, rabbit deaths caused by Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 are limited, and we may see an increase in their population in the coming months. What does that mean for us?

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RHDV2

In 2018-2020, a deadly virus shook Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and other surrounding states. This disease was spread rapidly through domestic and wild rabbit populations, and had a 90% moratility rate. This means people went from seeing dozens of rabbits in yards and fields to maybe one or two. As time went on, vaccinations were developed, but the mortality rate was still high until 2023, when the disease seemed to taper off.

While RHDV2 is still around, mortality rates have gone down, and the rabbit population seems to be returning to Arizona. In 2025, the only new reported rabbit deaths caused by RHDV were in Texas and Oregon. This means Arizona's rabbit population is almost completely cleared of this disease, and we may start seeing them a lot more often!

Population is coming back!

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, as of 2023, the virus seemed to be slowing down in Arizona. Over the course of the last 3 years, the rabbit population has slowly been rebuilding itself, and now they are everywhere, just like they were before RHDV2 wiped them out! Little statistics are available about exactly how much the rabbit population has grown, but many people report seeing them in their yards in the mornings and evenings. Something that did not happen during the height of the outbreak.

This is great news for the ecosystem as well! Desert Cottontails make up a large part of many predators' diets, and also keep wild plant growth under control. According to the USDA, Arizona's desert cottontails make up 45% of coyotes' diets, 61% of the horned owls diet, 37% of the gopher snakes' diet, and provide more then 20% of hawks, rattlesnakes, and foxes diets.

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What do WE need to worry about?

As the rabbit population starts to bounce back and we begin to see them grouped in our yards, there are a couple of things we need to be aware of. One of the big ones is predators. With an increase in rabbits, we may see more coyotes, snakes, hawks, and foxes. If you start seeing more rabbits in your yard, make sure to check for predators as well, and keep small dogs and cats indoors unless supervised. The last thing anyone wants is to be bitten by a snake or have their little pets snatched by hawks, coyotes, and foxes.

Another concern is for people who have gardens. Rabbits love fruits, herbs, and veggies, and tend to dig in and eat from gardens. With the rabbit population bouncing back, anyone who has a garden might want to consider securing it with chicken wire, so rabbits and other small animals don't go digging there.

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With cases of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 decreasing, the rabbit population is coming back. While this is a great thing for the ecosystem, it is important to be aware of an increase in potential predators and threats to your garden.

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