Modelling virus transmission in a population is nothing new for researchers assisted be Rabbit-Free Australia in their work on wild rabbits. Similar models are also used by ecologists exploring predator/prey relationships. As the world responds to COVID-19, ecologists Charley Krebs and Judy Meyers have penned a ‘blog’ on some of the challenges of modelling complex […]
The importance of rabbit control to aid bushland regeneration after fires has been stressed by the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia, through the media and correspondence with government. Rabbits selective grazing threatens the re-emergence of some plant species and, after fires, there are likely to be fewer predators around – yet warrens are more exposed. The […]
The 31st Newsletter from Rabbit-Free Australia is now available. It has been sent to all Foundation members and is available for on-line viewing. If you would like to support the Foundation in raising awareness and supporting research, a membership form (and a donation option) can be found at the website.
The long term benefits of rabbit control are likely to outweigh the short term costs for native species affected by ‘prey-switching’, is the conclusion of a recent New Zealand study. The research examined the effects of rabbit control on ferrets (an invasive predator) and alternative prey species. It found that after rabbits were controlled, ferret […]
Bandicoots flourish in the presence of Tasmanian Devils, apparently because the Devils suppress feral cats that otherwise prey on the native mammals, according to a recent study by Calum Cunningham of the University of Tasmania. The research found 58% fewer cats in areas with healthy devil populations compared to places where devils had declined; and […]
The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) hopes to register RHDV2 as a biological rabbit control by 2023. The form of rabbit calicivirus appeared in Australia from overseas in 2015, just ahead of the controlled release of calicivirus RHDV1-K5 in 2017. Since then, RHDV2 has been responsible for the death of nearly half the rabbits […]
Twenty seven years ago, in conjunction with the Foundation for Rabbit Free Australia (RFA), Haigh’s created Australia’s first chocolate Easter Bilby. Part proceeds from sales go to the Foundation’s work to control rabbits and thus protect the native Bilby’s environment. It’s about ‘Bilbies Not Bunnies’ – reclaiming the Bilby’s place in the Australian environment. Read more […]
Post-fire field conditions can be an opportunity to control wild rabbits. Warrens may be exposed, and it is timely to remove rabbits before they retard the regrowth of vegetation and influence which species recover and which don’t. The Victorian Rabbit Action Network present a guide for rabbit control in fire-affected landscapes in the Feb. 2020 […]
MacQuarie Island has been declared rabbit-free and rodent-free after a seven year eradication program. The achievement is of global significance because never before have rabbits, rats and mice all been eradicated from an island as big as MacQuarie at the same time. For more information, see the ABC News article by Laura Beavis and Linda […]
Now is the perfect time to get on to rabbit control and predator management, before it’s too late. Join Josh Rosser (SA Rabbit Control Coordinator) to discuss fox and rabbit control in a special webinar, Wed, Feb. 5th. For more information, see the Sheep Connect website.