![]() The myxoma virus was the first ever virus to be purposefully introduced to the wild to eradicate an animal. They released rabbits infected with myxoma-a rabbit-specific virus-into southeastern Australia. In the 1950s, the government turned to biocontrol. Today, farmers continue to use the warren destruction method, which is effective for controlling rabbit populations found on accessible lands. Destroying the warrens takes away the place where rabbits are able to safely breed and raise young. Farmers have also been known to destroy rabbit warrens (an underground network of tunnels) in an effort to control the population. In the case of the Western Australia fence, it merely fenced in rabbits already living in the state. ![]() However, fencing did little to deter the rabbits. The government even commissioned the construction of a fence that stretched across Western Australia, from the north to the south. Initially, both farmers and the government built fences to keep the rabbits from destroying their crops. A few decades after the rabbits first arrived in Australia, they became a major problem for farmers. Experts have tried a variety of techniques to manage rabbit populations, including fences, poisons, and pathogens some have proven more successful than others. Efforts To Deal with Invasive Rabbits Government researchers, biologists, farmers, and others have all attempted to get rid of Australia’s invasive rabbits. European rabbits, or hares, can produce more than four litters each year, with two to five kits (baby rabbits) per litter on average. They can reproduce at a young age, and they can reproduce all year round. Not only are European rabbits adaptable creatures, they are also known for rapidly producing large quantities of offspring. Since these conditions are fairly easy to come by, they can adapt to new habitats such as the deserts and plains of Australia as easily as the meadows of Europe. All the rabbits need is soil that is fit to burrow and short grasses to graze on. Even the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999-the Australian government’s main environmental legislation-lists the various effects of feral rabbits, such as land degradation, as a “threatening process.” These rabbits are extremely adaptive, which has played a role in their spread across the Australian continent. Not only did the rabbits wreak havoc on Australian croplands, they contributed to the decline of native plant and animal species. They also negatively affected agriculture and plants by overgrazing. Their numbers became so large that they destroyed crops and land, leading to soil erosion. From this one backyard sanctuary, it took only around 50 years for these invasive (meaning non-native to the land) rabbits to spread across the entire continent. Thomas Austin, a wealthy settler who lived in Victoria, Australia, had 13 European wild rabbits sent to him from across the world, which he let roam free on his estate. Introduction of European Rabbits to Australia In 1859, European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) were introduced into the Australian wild so that they could be hunted. Now, it is estimated that approximately 200 million feral rabbits inhabit Australia. Australia has had a problem with European rabbits since their introduction to the continent in the late 19th century.
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