Canmore's councillors are asking residents if they want to euthanize the more than 1,000 rabbits that populate the town.

Mayor Ron Casey said while the town's rabbits — descendents of domesticated rabbits released over the years — are beloved by some, they also cause problems for the environment.

Canmore, Alta., is home to more than 1,000 rabbits, descendents of released domestic pets.

The town has released a survey for residents that's available in local newspapers and online until the end of the month.

The rabbits are particularly annoying in the spring, when gardeners are trying to establish new plots of flowers and vegetables.

The bunnies also erode the soil, steal food and habitat from natural species and attract predators, such as foxes and coyotes, Casey said.

Euthanasia is only one option for dealing with the problem and residents can take steps themselves, such as rabbit-proofing gardens, he said.

"We've had this problem over a number of years, and truth be known, a lot of it gets looked after naturally. Owls are a great asset. When there's a large food supply like this around, owls will search it out and find it out, and the coyotes do as well at night time."

The survey will help town staff and councillors understand how residents feel about the rabbits, what people are doing to protect their yards, and what they feel should be done about the issue, Casey said.