00:00If you spot a wild cottontail rabbit hopping through your garden, it might surprise you to
00:04learn just how fragile their lives are in the wild. But what happens to their lifespan when
00:09a cottontail lives in captivity? The difference is extraordinary. In the wild, a cottontail rabbit's
00:15life is brief and fraught with danger. Due to heavy predation, harsh weather, and disease,
00:22most wild cottontails live less than one to two years, with the average lifespan being just 15
00:28months. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel and turn on the notification bell so you don't
00:33miss any new updates. However, in captivity, under specialized, licensed wildlife care,
00:39a cottontail can live up to eight to ten years. Why such a drastic leap? In expert hands, they are
00:46protected from natural predators, provided with balanced medical nutrition, and sheltered from
00:51extreme weather. However, keeping a wild cottontail in captivity is extremely difficult and illegal in
00:57most places without a permit. Cottontails suffer from intense, fatal stress around humans,
01:03a condition known as capture myopathy. Unlike domestic pet rabbits, wild cottontails never
01:09truly adapt to living in a home that captivity can extend their biological lifespan. Wild cottontails
01:17belong in nature, living free as nature intended.
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