Lexi Webster
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was introduced to Australia in the late 1800s and has since wreaked havoc on the country's environment and native species. With few natural predators and a high breeding rate, rabbits rapidly spread across the continent, causing soil erosion and the decline of indigenous plants and animals. Conservation groups in Australia have been working to protect native species and promote awareness, including replacing the Easter bunny with the Easter bilby, a native marsupial with rabbit-like ears that is crucial to the ecosystem.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | The greater bilby |
| Scientific name | Macrotis lagotis |
| Other names | Rabbit-eared bandicoot, Easter bilby |
| Habitat | The greater bilby once occupied over 80% of the continent. Now, they exist in a handful of remote regions in Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. |
| Diet | N/A |
| Burrow use | The greater bilby's deep, spiraled burrows provide habitat and refuge for dozens of species, including the yellow-spotted monitor lizard and the king brown snake. |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable to extinction |
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What You'll Learn
The bilby, Australia's 'Easter bunny'
The bilby, a burrowing marsupial with rabbit-like ears, is Australia's answer to the Easter bunny. The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis), also known as the rabbit-eared bandicoot, is a desert-dwelling creature that once occupied over 80% of the Australian continent.
The bilby was chosen as Australia's Easter animal to raise awareness of the species and promote conservation efforts. Groups such as the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia and Save the Bilby Fund have encouraged the public to embrace the Easter bilby as an alternative to the traditional Easter bunny. The campaign has seen successes, including the mass production of Easter Bilby chocolates.
The introduction of European rabbits to Australia in the late 18th and 19th centuries by European settlers has had a devastating impact on the country's native plants and animals. Rabbits thrived in their new environment, rapidly reproducing and spreading across the continent. By 1886, they were found throughout Victoria and New South Wales, reaching Western Australia by 1894 and the Northern Territory by the 1900s. It is estimated that there are currently around 200 million feral rabbits in Australia, inhabiting 70% of the country's landmass.
Rabbits have caused widespread environmental damage, outcompeting native species for food and shelter and leading to the decline of indigenous plants and animals. Their rapid reproduction and grazing habits have resulted in overgrazing and soil erosion, affecting pasture yields and water quality. The Australian government lists the effects of feral rabbits, including land degradation, as a "threatening process" under its main environmental legislation.
In contrast, the bilby, with its deep, spiraled burrows, provides habitat and refuge for dozens of other species, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. According to a study by zoologist Stuart Dawson, at least 45 different species utilize bilby burrows, including the yellow-spotted monitor lizard and the king brown snake. The burrows also aerate the soil and make the ecosystem more hospitable to plant life.
By celebrating the Easter bilby and raising awareness about the species, Australians can take action to protect and conserve this crucial member of their unique ecosystem.
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The negative impact of European rabbits on Australia's native species
European rabbits were introduced to Australia in the 18th or 19th century, and they have since become a significant pest and invasive species. Their rapid reproduction, lack of natural predators, and ability to adapt to new habitats have led to a range of negative impacts on Australia's native species and ecosystems.
One of the most visible impacts of European rabbits in Australia is the destruction of crops and land, leading to soil erosion. Rabbits can survive on almost any plant matter, including shoots, herbs, grasses, grains, and leaf buds. This leads to overgrazing, which can result in the collapse of indigenous plants and the native animal species that depend on them for food and habitat. Rabbits also contribute to soil erosion by eating native plants, leaving the topsoil exposed and vulnerable to wind and water erosion. This, in turn, affects pasture yields and water quality.
The introduction of European rabbits has also had indirect effects on native species. For example, cats and foxes use rabbit warrens for shelter and to raise their young, helping these predators to persist in hot, arid areas. Rabbits also eat and disperse native plant seeds, performing an important ecological function. However, they can spread weeds and damage native seedlings, further impacting the plant species that are vital for biodiversity and farm productivity.
The economic cost of rabbits in Australia is estimated to be more than $200 million per year. Their impact on agriculture and native ecosystems has led to financial losses and environmental devastation. Additionally, the community suffers indirectly as they may pay higher prices for rabbit-affected commodities such as wool or bear the loss of ecosystem services.
Conservation efforts to protect native species from the negative impacts of European rabbits in Australia have included biological control methods, such as introducing viruses and bacteria that specifically target rabbits. Fencing, hunting, and destroying rabbit warrens are also used to control rabbit populations. Australian conservation groups have also promoted the Easter bilby, a native marsupial with rabbit-like ears, as an alternative to the Easter bunny to raise public awareness about the species.
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How rabbits were introduced to Australia
Rabbits were first introduced to Australia in 1788 by the First Fleet. They were bred as food animals, likely in cages. In the initial years, the rabbit population was not very high, as evidenced by their absence from archaeological collections of early colonial food remains. However, by 1827, a newspaper article from Tasmania noted a significant increase in the rabbit population in the colony.
In the late 1800s, Thomas Austin, a wealthy settler, released 13 European wild rabbits on his estate, Winchelsea, Barwon Park, Victoria. These rabbits had been sent to him by a relative in England, where rabbit hunting was a popular sport. This was not the first introduction of rabbits to the continent, but it marked a significant event in the spread of rabbits across Australia.
The mild winters in Australia allowed rabbits to breed year-round. Additionally, widespread farming created vast areas with low vegetation, providing ideal habitats for rabbits. Within a decade of their introduction in 1859, rabbits had become so prevalent that two million could be shot or trapped annually without impacting their overall population. The spread of rabbits across Australia was the fastest recorded colonization by a mammal anywhere in the world.
Various methods have been employed to control the rabbit population in Australia, including trapping, poisoning, fumigation, and bounty systems. Rabbit-proof fences were also constructed in the late 1800s, with the most famous one being 3,256 kilometers long, built between 1901 and 1907. However, these efforts had limited success, and rabbits continued to spread and cause environmental damage.
The introduction of viruses, such as myxomatosis and RHDV, has been the most effective measure to control rabbit numbers. Myxomatosis, the first-ever virus intentionally released into the wild to eradicate an animal, was introduced by the government in the 1950s. While it initially caused a significant decline in rabbit numbers, rabbits eventually developed immunity to it. RHDV, released in 1996, reduced rabbit populations by up to 90% in dry areas. However, rabbits have also started to develop resistance to this virus.
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The cost of rabbits to the Australian economy
Rabbits were first introduced to Australia in the 18th century by the First Fleet. They were bred as food animals and kept in cages. By 1827, a newspaper article noted that rabbits were "becoming so numerous throughout the colony, that they are running about on some large estates by thousands". Various methods have been used to control the Australian rabbit population, including shooting rabbits, destroying their warrens, and building fences. However, these methods have had limited success, and rabbits have become a serious pest and invasive species, causing millions of dollars' worth of damage to crops.
Rabbits also contribute to soil erosion, impacting pasture yields and water quality. They compete with grazing industries for feed, reducing productivity. Additionally, rabbits can undermine or damage infrastructure, including roads, railways, and towers. The control of rabbits also carries costs, including the development and implementation of biological control methods and the social dilemma of killing animals for the greater good.
The greater bilby, a native Australian marsupial with rabbit-like ears, has been promoted as Australia's "Easter bunny" by conservation groups. The bilby is considered crucial to the ecosystem, as its deep, spiraled burrows provide habitat for dozens of other species. However, due to habitat loss and predation by introduced species, bilbies are now vulnerable to extinction, surviving only in remote regions.
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Methods to control rabbit populations in Australia
Rabbits are one of Australia's most destructive invasive species and serious pest animals. They were first introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788 and bred as food animals. Various methods have been used to control the population of rabbits in Australia over the years, including biological control methods, poisoning, hunting, fumigation, ripping, ploughing, and blasting, and trapping.
Poisoning
Poisoning is one of the most widely used conventional techniques for rabbit control in Australia. The objective is to remove 90% or more of the rabbits to prevent the population from recovering quickly. Poisoning with 1080 in NSW is regulated by the Pesticides Act 1999 and can be carried out only under specific conditions. Poisoned baits of pollard laced with a phosphorus-based poison, such as "S.A.P." manufactured by Sayers, Allport & Potter, were an early method. More modern poisons include sodium fluoroacetate ("1080") and pindone.
Hunting
Hunting using ferrets is another technique, where ferrets chase rabbits out to be shot or into nets set over their burrows. However, this method is more of a hunting activity than a serious control method as the number of rabbits ferrets can kill is limited.
Fumigation
Fumigation is an effective method for controlling rabbits when other methods are unsuitable. Fumigants such as phosphine and carbon monoxide are used to fill the warrens with gas, but they are toxic to humans. Fumigation is often used in conjunction with harbour destruction to prevent rabbit populations from recovering.
Ripping, Ploughing, and Blasting
Ripping involves dismembering or burying rabbits alive by driving a bulldozer with sharp tines over their warrens or burrows. Ploughing and blasting are also used, especially on large farms. The sandy soil in many parts of Australia makes ripping and ploughing a viable method of control.
Biological Control Methods
Releasing rabbit-borne diseases has been somewhat successful in controlling rabbit populations in Australia. The New South Wales government once offered a £25,000 reward for a biological control method, which attracted the attention of Louis Pasteur. He proposed using viral biological control methods, including the use of chicken cholera bacillus (now known as Pasteurella multocida), but this measure did not prove viable.
Trapping
Trapping has also been used for rabbit control, although steel-jawed leg-holding traps were banned in most states in the 1980s on animal cruelty grounds. Ring-fencing can also be an effective way to provide rabbit-free areas.
Despite these various methods, rabbits have developed resistance and their numbers are on the rise again in Australia. The impact of rabbits on the environment has been significant, with overgrazing, soil erosion, and negative effects on native plant and animal species.
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Frequently asked questions
The bilby, a native marsupial, is considered Australia's "Easter bunny".
The European rabbit was introduced to Australia in the 1800s and has since wreaked havoc on the country's environment, costing the Australian economy over $200 million per year.
Rabbits are considered Australia's most serious vertebrate pest. They have destroyed crops and land, leading to soil erosion, and have negatively impacted native plant and animal species.
Rabbits were first introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788 and were kept as pets and bred as food animals. In 1859, Thomas Austin, a wealthy settler, released 13 European wild rabbits on his estate. Within 50 years, these invasive rabbits had spread across the entire continent.
The greater bilby, also known as the rabbit-eared bandicoot, is a desert-dwelling marsupial with rabbit-like ears. Bilbies dig deep, spiralled burrows that provide habitat for dozens of other species, including birds, reptiles, and mammals.
