Behaviour question - two males sniffing each other through bars

[Tweetiepy]

Peaches is fixed and 9 months, Popcorn is unfixed and supposedly male - about 9 weeks old. Right now their cages are close together and their run area is separated by an X-Pen folded in half with about 6-10 between the runs. Peaches and Popcorn have met briefly (resulted in lunging but from which bunny I'm not sure). Last night, the X-Pen dividing gap was narrowed to within really close sniffing distance - they could almost touch. I could hear some sort of noise from either one or both and they were really pushing with their noses to get the gate closer - it looked like they were trying to attack each other but I could be reading it wrong - maybe they just want to sniff each other closer. Maybe because they think the other is trying to envade the other's territory, they're defending it...

If they really are trying to attack each other, would this behaviour change once Popcorn gets fixed (he can't be going through hormonal changes at his age - although he seems to poop a whole lot). I know the bonding process could be really long and I'd hate to think that these two are so totally uncompatible when I'm just trying to get a friend for Peaches. I'm not planning on trying to bond them until Popcorn is fixed but could this behaviour be what's waiting for me when I try to bond them?

 

[Maureen Las]

It is more difficult to bond two males than a male and female so you really do not know what is in store for the future as a possible pair . With Popcorn being unneutered it is impossible to know whether they will ever be compatible.
I am fairly certain that putting them together now would not be a good idea and would be most certainly end in a fight or biting
Read as much as you can about bonding so you will have all the info after Popcorn is neutered.
Keep them in the same room so they can become used to each other by sight and smell

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12072&forum_id=17

 

[Tweetiepy]

I'm keeping them close - Peaches territorial pooping has diminished a bit since he can smell & see Popcorn - he always gets the first pets and the first meal - although he does get pet too after Popcorn and doesn,t attack us for smelling like Popcorn. Peaches is very docile - but when they get close to each other through the bars, I'm unable to interpret what their intentions are and it may be wanting to get closer to each other but I don't want to risk it at this time in case I'm wrong.