State to use drones to monitor pygmy rabbits

OLYMPIA – State Department of Fish and Wildlife employees will fly drones over known pygmy rabbit locations on state and federal lands to test the effectiveness of tracking pygmy rabbits from the air.

The agency will also fly drones over private lands, with permission, the agency said, noting the targeted areas will be in Grant and Douglas counties.

Flights will occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning next month and continuing through October 2026. Flights will depend on weather conditions and suitable flight conditions.

Agency employees will use the drones to track pygmy rabbit locations and numbers in snowy conditions. They will also use the drones to try to determine the survival rate of reintroduced animals.

The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, found in Eastern Washington's shrubsteppe, is one of the smallest rabbit species in North America.

The state has implemented a reintroduction program that uses semi-wild breeding enclosures to produce juveniles for release.