Category Archives: About Rabbits

Pest eradication, a key to ecological restoration

Programs to eradicate invasive rats, cats, rabbits and goats have been a key to restoring the ecology on islands around the world according to a recent assessment of attempts on nearly 1,000 islands.

Myxo still active

Current strains of myxomatosis are far more virulent than that released in 1950, but rabbits have increased resistance as well. Nonetheless, myxo is still important for rabbit control in Australia.

Social hierarchies favour genetic diversity

A strong social hierarchy (or ‘pecking order’) and territoriality help prevent inbreeding, giving species an adaptive advantage. Whether it be a dominant female stick-nest rat ruling the nest, or a dominant male rabbit ejecting young males from a warren and forcing them to settle in foreign territory, the result is the same.  Genetic diversity, saving […]

Rabbit-Free Webinar videos

Videos presentations on the environmental and economic impact of rabbits, the latest research on how RHDV is working, and Easter Bilby as an advocate for rabbit control, are now available. The presentations are from a recent webinar co-convened by Rabbit-Free Australia and Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS). The videos are available via CISS and […]

Wild Deserts rebounding

The eradication of ‘every last rabbit, cat and fox’ provided the foundation for the reintroduction of native animals to Sturt National Park, in NW NSW. Two reserve areas, totaling 40 sq kms, are now supporting populations of greater bilbies, crest-tailed mulgara and Shark Bay bandicoots, after they disappeared from the area over 100 years ago. […]

Rabbit R&D Webinar – Registration now open

Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) and  are hosting an on-line Rabbit R&D Update on Monday, March 21, 2022. Themes  for the Update are rabbit bio-control and awareness raising, with emphasis on: Environmental and economic benefits of rabbit control How RHDV is working and implications for RHDV-K5 releases Raising […]

Unholy trinity – rabbits, cats and foxes

In a recent contribution to The Conversation, Associate Professor Katherine Moseby (UNSW) refers to rabbits, cats and foxes as an unholy trinity. Rabbits competed with native mammals for food and became food themselves for cats and foxes – inflating predator numbers and adding to the predation of native mammals. Katherine has over 25 years of […]

Rabbits – ecosystem invaders

Rabbits and hares are the most widely spread herbivores in the Kosciuszko National Park, and are associated with less dense foliage, more bare ground and higher weed cover, according to a recent study published in Conservation Science and Practice. Rabbits were detected in 85% of study sites and over a wider range of elevations than […]