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Rabbits
The introduced European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is one of the most widely distributed mammals in Australia and, except for the house mouse, the most abundant.
Rabbits are a major environmental and agricultural pest. Impact on agricultural production is greatest in drier areas where pasture production is low and rabbits can increase to high densities and compete with stock. In higher rainfall areas, rabbits can be more easily managed and are seen as a moderately expensive nuisance.
The impact of rabbits on native animals and plants is becoming increasingly recognised and includes competition with many native animals for food and shelter and damage to native vegetation through ringbarking, grazing and browsing.
The key to the success of the rabbit in Australia is the warren, which provides protection from weather and predators and enables rabbits to inhabit semi-arid and arid country. As rabbits do not dig new warrens readily, the most effective and long-term form of rabbit management is usually through destruction of warren networks with rippers mounted on bulldozers.
More detailed information on rabbit management is contained in the Bureau of Rural Sciences' publication 'Managing Vertebrate Pests: Rabbits' - Williams, K., Parer, I. Coman, B., Burley, J. and Braysher, M. 1995 (A$24.95).
The rabbit is Australia's most damaging pest animal. Rabbits are a complex management problem because they are widespread, often in relatively inaccessible country where they are difficult and expensive to control, and are a major economic and environmental pest. Little is known about the relative effectiveness of techniques used to control rabbit damage.
This book gives a comprehensive review of the history of rabbits in Australia, their biology, the damage they cause, and past and current management. It examines the attitudes of animal welfare groups, commercial, recreational and Aboriginal people harvesting rabbits, and other interest groups. The authors recommend management techniques and strategies for control, using four case studies, and identify deficiencies in knowledge, management and legislation.
The book is an essential guide for policy makers, farmers and other land managers, and all those interested in rabbit management.
Purchase the Publication: Managing Vertebrate Pests - Rabbits
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Further information contact
Quentin Hart
Within Australia Ph: 02 6272 3801
International Ph: +61 2 6272 3801
or email Quentin Hart