The Rabbits of Skomer Wild

Skomer is an unusual island

off the west coast of Pembrokeshire in South Wales.

It's a true island wilderness and a sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife,

especially in spring when seabirds return to breed.

Skomer is unusual because it's one of the few places where

rabbits live on sea cliffs alongside seabirds like puffins and seagulls

and because each spring it's transformed by wild flowers.

For a few precious weeks, they carpet the island,

creating one of Britain's most beautiful natural spectacles.

But Skomer hasn't always been a wildlife refuge.

The rabbits are a reminder that it also has a story to tell.

For a small island, Skomer has a long history.

Humans are very much part of the rabbits' story

and long ago Skomer island was a sanctuary for them too.

If you study its landscape carefully,

you'll find echoes of ancient Celtic people here.

Two thousand years later

their walls and foundations survive on the boggy land...

..along with ruined farm buildings from more modern times.

Today, though, the people have gone and the wildlife remains.

Spring is the busiest time of year for Skomer residents.

But as the island sticks right out into the Irish sea,

late April finds Skomer still wrapped in its bleak, grey, winter coat.

CACOPHONY OF BIRD CALLS

That doesn't stop noisy colonies of kittiwakes nesting on the sea cliffs.

Their neighbours - fulmars -

seem to actually enjoy the blustery weather!

And, alongside the birds, there's an animal you might not expect to find

on an island in the sea...

..the rabbit.

Skomer rabbits aren't just special because of their location -

they also come in different colours!

In early May as the weather warms up,

it's a good time to see baby rabbits feeding close to their burrows.

There are no foxes, weasels or dogs here on Skomer,

which gives these infants a head start.

But they share their home

with some nosy neighbours their mainland cousins would never see.

Puffins have spent the winter out at sea,

and now arrive to breed.

Time to spring clean and redecorate last year's nest burrows.

What makes the Skomer rabbits special

is that they're survivors of a bygone age.

People brought them to the island in the Middle Ages.

Back then rabbits weren't common at all, they were a special delicacy

and in great demand for their fur and as luxury food.

So rabbit farming was big business.

That's why the Skomer rabbits come in different colours.

In the past, people released several domestic varieties

to try to improve the wild population through interbreeding.

Today, though,

rabbits have free rein and there aren't even any mammal predators,

which makes Skomer a rabbit paradise...

a marine version of Watership Down!

But even Skomer has its dangers,

especially if you're small or very young.

An island full of breeding birds and rabbits

inevitably attracts unwanted attention.

Short-eared owls patrol the moors...

looking for baby rabbits caught out in the open.

And the owls aren't the only threats

the little ones have to watch out for.

Some of the seabirds are killers too.

A greater black-backed gull

is fisher, scavenger and hunter all in one.

Much bigger than a herring gull, these heavyweights

often mug and kill baby bunnies.

A determined gull is patient and clever,

little rabbits often innocent and curious.

Not a good combination.

Most rabbits take cover,

but some brave mothers don't take kindly to baby bashing...

and fight back.

Rabbits, it seems, aren't always on the run!

And for others, spring itself comes to the rescue,

in the most unexpected and beautiful way.

As May progresses,

the warming sun creates ideal growing conditions for the plants.

The low turf turns into a garden,

a perfect hiding place for little rabbits.

The gulls are foiled by flowers and Skomer itself is transformed.

The whole island bursts out in bloom,

just as it has for centuries...

..becoming rabbit paradise again.

Subtitles by Mairi Macleod Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail us at [email protected]