PESTS OF THE YARROWEE

RIVER
RABBITS
WHY ARE RABBITS BAD?
•
Environmental damage is now the biggest problem caused by feral rabbits in Australia. Feral
rabbits compete for feed and shelter with native animals, but most environmental harm comes from
how they graze, and because they help maintain feral predators. Rabbits have clearly contributed to
the decline or loss of the greater bilby, yellow-footed rock-wallaby, southern and northern hairy-
nosed wombats, the malleefowl and the plains-wanderer.
• Rabbits have a small mouth and rodent-like teeth for close grazing, and are selective feeders – they
search out tiny seedlings of the most palatable species and remove them before they can grow and
reproduce. Rabbits don’t fell ancient, giant trees – but they do seek out and eat every seedling of
preferred species within their grazing range before they can grow. Once mature trees die, the species
is lost as there are no younger plants to replace them. The immediate impact of rabbits may go un-
noticed, but the lack of plant recruitment can change the whole structure of vegetation communities,
with flow-on effects for the native birds, reptiles, invertebrates and other animals that live within.
HOW DID RABBITS COME

• Domesticated European rabbits arrived in Australia with the First Fleet. They
were introduced for food and wild rabbits were later brought in for hunting.
A colony of feral rabbits was reported in Tasmania in 1827 and wild
European rabbits were released in Victoria in 1859, and in South Australia
shortly after. By 1886 they were found throughout that Victoria and New
South Wales – even extending to the Northern Territory by the 1900s. By
1910 feral rabbits were found throughout most of their current range.
HOW TO GET RID OF RABBITS
• The best way to control rabbits long-term, in most places, is to destroy their warrens
and hiding places. This means that they cannot survive the hot summers, and cannot
rear their young successfully. Rabbit populations usually take many years to recover
from a thorough warren destruction program. Recovery will take even longer if the
ripped warrens are regularly checked and follow-up work done when needed.
• Successful warren destruction programs rely on working out the extent of the rabbit
problem by surveying the area for signs of rabbits, e.g. active rabbit warrens, with
holes that are obviously being used, especially the doe’s strenuous hole cleaning just
before she gives birth. This leaves a streak of dirt which is often visible for some
distance. Other signs are fresh rabbit droppings, and chisel-shaped teeth marks on
food plants.