'They're taking over' Antioch neighborhood fed up with rabbit problem

Darrell Stovall didn't think his first year in retirement he'd turn into the neighborhood bunny catcher – but that's how he spends a good chunk of his time these days. "Call me Elmer Fudd!" said Stovall. "I've been trapping them."

Stovall says one of his neighbors in the Almondridge area of Antioch had a pair of rabbits, kept as pets. They let them breed. Soon there were three, then four, and at one point, 14. Now, they roam and hop freely through the street.

"They're taking over. They are destructive," said Stovall. "They dig into the yard. And they dig for the roots. So they dig down deep."

Neighbors initially thought seeing rabbits on their quiet street was cute. But that soon changed. Kayla Christopher said the rabbits destroyed her parent's backyard.

"We're not quite besties with the bunnies, no," said Christopher. "They like to dig. They like to chew on grass. And they just poop everywhere. They like to lay in the middle of the street."

Christopher showed up pictures of baby bunnies she helped catch, and take care of. They brought the animals to a shelter. She doesn't want the rabbits to get hurt, but does want them gone.

Neighbors contacted Antioch Animal Services. An officer brought over cages. Stovall also uses rocks and tires as a barricade. "We kind of started barricading the area, putting boulders up so they couldn't crawl up under the fence again," said Stovall.

He wants the city to take action and help solve the problem. He also has a message for his neighbors, who first let the rabbits out. "Keep them in your own backyard."