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Interesting Creatures: DNA sequencing to identify undiscovered rabbits found in Region nine
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News – DNA sequencing is being used to identify a species of wild rabbits that mysteriously showed up some decades ago in farmlands of the Wapishana people at Karaudarnau Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine. This is according to the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) who spoke with the Waterfalls last week.
Shervin Belgrave
According to SRCS, “For decades, the residents of Karaudarnau Village in the Deep South of Region 9 have known that there are wild rabbits that roam their farmlands and many have even kept them as pets”.
The locals have reportedly call them Kazoo-tain, which is part of the Wapishana dialect which means “long ears”. However, the species remains undiscovered in the world of science.
“It is therefore not known whether the species of rabbit is the same species that can be found in Suriname or Brazil, or if it is a subspecies of those populations, or if it is altogether a new specie entirely or if it is a domestic rabbit that has gone feral and multiplied”, SRCS said.
To solve the mystery behind the scientific identity of the wild rabbits, SRCS teamed up with villagers to catch some of the wild rabbits so that they could be sent overseas for testing.
With support from overseas organisations, the Field Museum in Chicago, USA, the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, the University of Florida and Jacksonville Zoo in the US, SCRS began the project in January this year by training five local residents, Chris Issacs, Mario Domingo, Keith Williams, Leo Ernest and Lorenzo John from Karaudarnau to set traps at four farms where rabbits are frequently sighted.
After some two months of setting baits and monitoring the traps, four wild rabbits were caught- two males and two females.
Baits on one of the traps set up to capture the wild rabbits
Local scientists, after observing them were convinced that the undiscovered species of rabbits were definitely domestic ones.
SCRS said that animals will be processed by Guyanese scientific advisor, Indranee Roopsind, before being sent to the Field Museum in Chicago and the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada for analysis.
Locals setting up a rabbit trap
With the use of DNA sequencing, scientists at these museums will determine the species of rabbits discovered in the deep South of the Rupununi.
The undiscovered rabbits caught in the traps.
“This process will hopefully not take too long and the results should be available in the coming months”, stated SRCS, while added that in the meantime, four villagers will be assisting in conducting a survey to find out more about the animal’s preference of habitat, diet and behaviour.
“This data can then be used to create a plan for how the species could be managed and to create actions to ensure that either the species is conserved for future generations, if it is indeed a new species or limited or if it is an invasive species so that it does not impact other native biodiversity”, SRCS said.
Speaking with the waterfalls on the importance of the project, SRCS Programme Coordinator, Neal Millar said, “Firstly, it highlights the importance of local knowledge as the species had been known about locally for a long time and only because of this are efforts being made to scientifically identify it”
“Additionally, he continued, “like all of the projects being implemented by SRCS, the activities were conducted by the residents of Karaudarnau themselves and they are being equipped with the skills needed to do these types of assessment by SRCS. It reinforces that the residents of the Rupununi are the best persons to conduct research and that more effort is needed to build their capacity to do so”.
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