Rabbit Breeding

The Amami is hardly a recognizable rabbit breed. Even many expert rabbit fanciers do not know it exists. Sadly they may never get the chance to learn in this area these scarce Japanese rabbits, as they are nearly extinct, with less than 5,000 remaining. But, scientists in Osaka are tiresome to make sure that the Amami survives, with the help of cloning.

Struggling to Survive in a Changing World.
The Amami can only be found on two isolated Japanese islands, and have lived happily in dense wooded areas surviving on bamboo shots, berries and other local vegetation. They are now and again called “income fossils” as they are the last remaining descendants of very ancient wild rabbits that once roamed the whole of the Asian continent. They weigh an average of 5 to 6 pounds, and are usually a dark grey in color. Their dwindling numbers have come in this area mainly as a result of human interference in their lives. Up until the 1920’s they were hunted for both meat and health check purposes, then heavy logging in the
Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima Islands everywhere they live all but ruined their habitat. The fact that a healthful Amami doe only usually produces two small litters per year meant that natural restocking could not keep up with decimation being caused by the modern world and its’ people.

Using Science to Save a Species.
The Osaka geneticists, from the noted Kiki University, took cells from the ear of a dead Amami rabbit, and introduced them to an unfertilized egg from a lab rabbit. They did manage to make a viable embryo that was successfully re implanted. Even if the scientists have yet to publically release the consequences of this initially pregnancy, they do intend to continue their work until they are successful. The same team did successfully clone and restore a species of wild rat, so they believe that saving the very ancient Amami is a real possibility.