, ▁they ▁eat ▁a ▁more ▁varied ▁di et . ▁They ▁may ▁have ▁two ▁to ▁four ▁lit ters ▁of ▁about ▁two ▁to ▁six ▁k its ▁during ▁the ▁spring ▁and ▁summer ▁bre eding ▁seasons . ▁Population ▁decl ine ▁is ▁widely ▁attributed ▁to ▁pred ation ▁and ▁habitat ▁loss ▁caused ▁by ▁agricult ural ▁development ▁and ▁wild f ires . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁Un like ▁most ▁rabb its , ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Bas in ▁pyg my ▁rabb it ▁did ▁not ▁bre ed ▁pro dig iously ▁in ▁the ▁wild ▁nor ▁in ▁capt ivity , ▁partially ▁due ▁to ▁in bre eding ▁within ▁the ▁tiny ▁wild ▁population . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁they ▁were ▁cross ▁b red ▁with ▁pyg my ▁rabb its ▁from ▁Id aho , ▁and ▁subsequent ▁bre eding ▁efforts ▁have ▁been ▁more ▁successful . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁Oregon ▁Z oo ▁produced ▁ 2 6   k its , ▁bringing ▁the ▁total ▁off spring ▁population ▁for ▁the ▁year ▁to ▁ 7 3   k its ▁among ▁particip ating ▁bre eding ▁facilities . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁zoo ▁found ▁that ▁pair ings ▁based ▁on ▁familiar ity ▁and ▁prefer ences ▁resulted ▁in ▁greater ▁bre eding ▁success ▁than ▁pair ings ▁based ▁only ▁on ▁gen etic ▁related ness . ▁ ▁Results ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁through ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁efforts ▁were ▁encourag ing ▁for ▁recovery ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁to ▁the ▁state . ▁W DF W ▁developed ▁techniques ▁for ▁bre eding ▁wild ▁and ▁capt ive - bre d ▁pyg my ▁rabb its ▁in