Israel’s abandoned rabbit crisis leaves rescuers struggling to keep up

According to animal rescuers in Israel, dozens of domesticated rabbits are abandoned across the country every day. Talia Nathanel, founder of Beit Nathanel—the country’s only organization dedicated to rabbit rescue—states that the group has been operating since 2019 without institutional funding and is currently struggling to manage the care of approximately 250 rabbits. Unlike wild rabbits, domesticated ones are ill-equipped to survive outdoors, often succumbing to hunger, heatstroke, or predators. Nathanel attributes the crisis to a combination of unregulated sales and a lack of public awareness regarding the complex needs of rabbits. Many sellers reportedly provide little guidance to buyers, who often abandon the animals after realizing the challenges of breeding or long-term care. The organization is currently facing a severe shortage of volunteers and is urgently seeking a permanent site in the Jezreel Valley to continue its rescue and rehabilitation efforts.