Knowledgebase

Jackrabbit concern #922071

Asked November 17, 2025, 1:48 PM EST

2 part question- last night I found a jackrabbit killed in our driveway (wasn’t there when I drove down to get the mail, was there on the way back) Not an extensive amount of trauma (I didn’t hit/run over it) but it’s hindquarters had been skinned and there was an opening into the body cavity where intestines were coming out near the armpit… additionally the heart was intact but outside the body on the road. The body was definitely still warm. Although I’m curious if there is any type of predator that might kill like that- that alone probably wouldn’t have been worth bothering you all. However when we walked into the scrub/trees off the side of the road about 25 feet we found an additional (but smaller) jackrabbit under a tree, however it was cold/rigored and had no obvious trauma/blood (maybe a small tear to one ear?). So questions are- should we be worried about non traumatic dead jackrabbits- do you think they were related incidents and any idea what might be happening? Is this even an appropriate question for you all! Thanks!

Klamath County Oregon

Expert Response

Thank you for your inquiry. My colleagues and I concur on there being multiple candidates for the predator, but none are certain at this time: Fox, or possibly coyote.
Your concern is valid about the dead-but-no-outward-signs animal. We (U.S) have unfortunately been losing many hares and rabbits to a virulent virus, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, type 2 (RHDV2;https://www.aphis.usda.gov/national-wildlife-programs/nwdp/rhdv2 ) in the past couple of years, and it has been detected in your county at least once in the past 12 months. To help track potential cases, I strongly encourage you to report to our ODFW managers:


To report sick or dead wildlife, call your local ODFW office or the Wildlife Health Lab toll free number<personal data hidden>)
Dr. Dana Sanchez Replied November 19, 2025, 1:43 PM EST

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