They are the single most significant cause of the extinction of numerous native plants and animals.Rabbits have been declared the number one pest in Australia because of the severe damage they are causing to the Australian ecosystem. Feral European rabbits have had a catastrophic effect on the Australian ecosystem. There are over 200 million rabbits in Australia today. (The newspaper engraving shows the rabbit fence on the right). This is probably the most likely explanation of the rabbit plague that followedīecause a large number of rabbits were released, allowing them to establish themselves in Australia. He went hunting again the following morning and shot another 86. Over 1,000 rabbits were shot, of which the Duke is credited with shooting 416. The local newspapers report that the Duke stayed as a guest of the Austin's at Barwon Park and went hunting Austin, a hole was cut in the fence, and rabbits chased out of the hole so that there would be a spectacularĪbundance of rabbits when the Duke went rabbit shooting. Theįinal theory is that when the Duke of Edinburgh visited Barwon Park on the 5th of December 1867 as the guest of the wealthy Mr. The rabbits may have escaped through these openings or may even have been encouraged to escape by the local people to catch them more easily elsewhere. Local people cut holes in the rabbit fences to steal the rabbits on the property. The first is that the Barwon River, which flowed next to the Austin's property, flooded, the rabbit enclosure fences were washed away, permitting the rabbits to escape. There several theories as to how this may have happened. Given the massive increase in the rabbit population at Barwon Park, it was only a matter of time before some of them escaped into the wild. Initially, they were bred in confined enclosures for food and appear to have had no noticeable impact on the local environment. To rabbits in Tasmania and New South Wales. By the early 1800s, there are occasional written references The first rabbits, numbering just five, arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. There were no rabbits whatsoever in Australia until they were introduced by European settlers commencing in 1788. A rabbit can live for up to 9 years.įirst Rabbits in Australia Why were Rabbits Introduced to Australia? In just 18 months, two rabbits can produce as many as 180 additional rabbits. Rabbits become sexually active at 3 t0 8 months of age. Their distribution is only restricted by this their ability to find soils suitable for digging their underground in burrows. Today, Rabbits can be found in many different areas of Australia, ranging from deserts to coastal plains. Except in very dry conditions, the rabbit gets all the moisture it needs from its food. It may also strip the bark off trees and shrubs. It sometimes consuming the entire plant, including the roots and seeds. The European rabbit is a voracious feeder, grazing on a variety of grasses, forbs, scrubs.
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