Pest control: Feral rabbits

European rabbits are Australia’s most widespread and destructive environmental and agricultural vertebrate pest, with their rate of spread believed to be the fastest of any colonising mammal anywhere in the world. 

Commonly found in all parts of Australia except the tropical north, feral rabbits cause significant environmental and financial harm. 

The impact feral rabbits can have on livestock enterprises include: 

• reducing the carrying capacity of farms by competing with livestock for feed
• damaging emerging crops
• reducing plant biodiversity by eating seedlings and killing shrubs
• reducing animal biodiversity by competing with native animals for food and shelter
• contributing to soil erosion by removing plant cover.
  
  

Control methods 

Australia has been investing in successful rabbit biocontrol programs for more than 70 years with benefits now estimated at $70 billion.  

MLA supports the National Rabbit Biocontrol Optimisation program at the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) which involves strengthening the pipeline of new rabbit biocontrols both in Australia and internationally.  

PestSmart Connect (powered by CISS) provides extensive information about European rabbits relating to their biology, ecology, impacts and best practice management.  

Biological control is by far the most cost-effective large-scale management option to stay on the front foot with rabbit control, but it can’t be relied on in isolation. 

The viruses and their hosts constantly co-evolve, so conventional control methods such as baiting, warren ripping, fumigation, shooting and trapping are also needed to provide long-term results. 

The PestSmart website also contains detailed Standard Operating Procedures for control methods, including: 

• ground shooting of rabbits
• baiting of rabbits with 1080
• baiting of rabbits with pindone
• trapping and euthanasing rabbits using padded-jaw traps
• rabbit warren destruction by ripping
• rabbit warren destruction by explosives
• rabbit bait delivery of RHDV1 K5.
  
  

Recording and mapping of activity  

Producers are encouraged to use the RabbitScan app or website to map the activity of rabbits on their property as well as recording any on-farm or community control activities. This coordinated tracking approach will help inform and improve the effectiveness of future control programs. 
 
RabbitScan can also be used to report evidence of potential rabbit disease in your area via the Rabbit Biocontrol Tracker. If you find a dead rabbit which you suspect has died from a virus, record the details on the app, request a sample kit and freeze the dead rabbit until the kit arrives. 

Providing this valuable information will assist researchers with the development of future biocontrol agents, as they will understand how viruses are spreading and which ones are proving most effective in your area.