In 1896 the Western Australian Undersecretary for Lands dispatched surveyor Arthur Mason into the south-east towards the border with South Australia to report on the rabbit population. Native wildlife has also been hurt by the poison and traps left out to catch the rabbits. A commercial use has been found for some of the introduced species such as the rabbit and this serves to complicate their management because they are both a pest and a resource. National Archives of Australia. The mild winters in the region enabled these animals to breed throughout the entire year, reaching numbers that were now unsupportable. By 1991, the rabbit population in Australia regenerated, reaching 200 to 300 million. Consisting of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships, and six ships carrying convicted criminals, the fleet arrived in Australia over the period of 18 to 20 January 1788. However, for the great majority of introduced wild animals in Australia there is the wish that we could turn back the hands of time and assess the costs and benefits in the light of current knowledge. European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were introduced to Australia in the 18th century with the First Fleet and eventually became widespread. In 1887, loses from rabbit damage were so great that the Inter-Colonial Rabbit Commission offered a £25,000 prize “to anyone who could demonstrate a new and effective way of exterminating rabbits.”. Though the rabbit population was considered manageable until around 1866, things started to get out of control by the following year. Introduced European rabbits have plagued Australia, where there are no natural predators. Rabbits were introduced into Australia in the $1800 \mathrm{s}$. In 1893, rabbit-proof fences were installed in Queensland; the fence was continually extended over the following years. Get a round-up of all our stories published during the past week delivered to your email every Saturday. Within a number of years, those 24 rabbits multiplied into millions. They were bred as food animals, probably in cages. Rabbits died within two weeks after contracting the disease. Stretching from north to south across Western Australia, dividing the entire continent into two unequal parts, is a flimsy barbed-wire fence that runs for a total length of 3,256 km. Rabbits, like most other pest species, were introduced when Europeans first settled in Australia. By the 1840s, rabbit-keeping became very common in Australia, and court records also show frequent cases of rabbit theft. The rabbit plague that now exists in Australia is largely due to the actions of one man. The rabbit was entering the regular diet of all people. At that time he had stated that "the introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting. Photo credit: State Library of Western Australia, Photo credit: www.australiaforeveryone.com.au, Photo credit: The People & Environment Blog, Sources: slwa.wa.gov.au / The People & Environment Blog / Wikipedia. From England, the ships voyaged out to Rio de Janeiro, then east to Cape Town and to Botany Bay (today in Sydney) through the Great Southern Ocean. Early rates of spread were … suggestion for the erection of a rabbit fence between New South Wales and Queensland to check the invasion of rabbits. A Royal Commission in 1901 resulted in a decision to build a barrier fence across the State. Nowadays, rabbit population is kept in check by deliberately releasing certain viruses into the wild. Rabbits were introduced to Australia to act as a food source for colonists. Rabbit calicivirus (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus, or RHDV*) is one of two viruses introduced into Australia to control wild rabbit populations (the other being myxomatosis). farm livestock populations and other wild herbivores. Circa 1926. Rabbits were introduced from two main sources; the domesticated rabbit which provided early settlers with a ready source of meat, and the wild rabbit introduced … Also, due to their high breeding power, they were to provide a readily available source of meat in homesteads. And by sheer luck, interbreeding between two distinct types of rabbits introduced by Thomas Austin resulted in a particularly hardy and vigorous variety. Rabbits were first introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788. Construction of the fence started that very year, and over the next six years, a 1,824-km-long barrier was erected that stretched from the south coast to the northwest coast, along a line north of Burracoppon, 230 kilometers east of Perth. Today, landowners, including the Crown, are responsible for controlling rabbits on their own lands. Wild rabbits devastated crops, and they appeared to be a major threat for species loss across the continent. The relationship between rabbits and Australia has always been strained at best. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease escaped containment from an Australian Government research facility and spread across Australia. Europeans had introduced rabbits to Australia at the end of the 18th century, whereupon the fuzzy critters started breeding like, well, y’know. The first virus field tests were conducted in 1938 in Australia, and in 1950 the disease was deliberately released at full scale. Image credit: The People & Environment Blog. Rabbits were first introduced in Australia in 1788 for their meat, and originally bred in rabbit farms and enclosures, until one October morning in 1859, when an English settler by the name of Thomas Austin released twenty-four wild rabbits on his property so that his guest could entertain themselves by hunting. We understand that there are no rabbits whatever in the elder colony.”, A load of rabbit skins, Northern Tablelands, New South Wales. But winters in Australia are mild so rabbits could breed all throughout the year. The feral European rabbit is one of the most widely distributed and abundant mammals in Australia. ", By good fortune, for the rabbits, Australia was the ideal place for rabbit procreation. It causes severe damage to the natural environment and to agriculture. Their spread may have been enhanced through the emergence of strong crossbreeds. In 1859, a farmer introduced 24 grey rabbits to remind him of home. Did you know, Australia has another pest control fence? The proliferation of rabbits was the fastest of an introduced mammal anywhere in the world. As a country, Australia had ideal conditions for rapid rabbit population explosion. (Why didn’t it work?) From there, the Myxo further spread throughout Europe too. Unfortunately, they would soon spread acros… Feral rabbit control is complicated because of welfare and harvesting issues, and because both native and introduced predators feed on feral rabbits in many parts of Australia. Australia is the only country in the world with feral herds of camels, and it holds the largest population in the world. Now, it is estimated that approximately 200 million feral rabbits inhabit Australia. They were originally introduced in 1840 from British India and Afghanistan for transportation and construction during colonisation. They are said to have been bred as food animals, probably in cages. In 1887, the situation became so severe that the New South Wales Government offered a reward of £25,000 for “any method of success not previously known in the Colony for the effectual extermination of rabbits.” Over a thousand proposals were submitted, some of which spoke of biological controls, but nothing seemed a good fit. Rabbits usually stop breeding in winter because baby bunnies are born without fur and hence susceptible to cold. Already rabbits have already History of Rabbits in Australia. Rabbit plagues in Australia have occurred several times throughout parts of Australia since wild European rabbits were introduced by European colonists. Causing millions of dollars, and damage to crops, which were once perfectly normal. The feral European rabbit is one of the most widely distributed and abundant mammals in Australia. Nobody would believe what happened next. Photo credit: ron_n_beths pics/Flickr, Thomas Austin can almost be forgiven for thinking rabbits were harmless. As well as the population of convicts, these ships also brought rabbits. Mason suggested that a series of fences, one along the border with South Australia and another further west, should be constructed. Unsurprisingly, their presence turned out to be hazardous to the Australian ecosystem. Gate in the Rabbit Fence at Stanthorpe, Queensland, Christmas 1934. It causes extreme internal haemorrhaging and can lead to death within 1-2 days. However, during the late 19th century, a fatal viral disease was first observed among laboratory rabbits in Uruguay. Imported into Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, rabbits have overrun much of the country, causing extensive agricultural and environmental damage and demonstrating the dangers of introducing non-native species into an area. Australian Rabbit Plague. In 1859, a man named Thomas Austin, a landowner in Winchelsea, Victoria imported 24 wild rabbits from England and released them into the wild for sport hunting. The European rabbit was brought to Australia as a companion animal by early settlers. Unlike in Australia, the myxomatosis project failed in neighboring New Zealand, but it turned out fatal in other countries. However, by 1827, a Tasmanian newspaper article would clearly indicate that a rabbit population boom was underway, noting that “…the common rabbit is becoming so numerous throughout the colony, that they are running about on some large estates by thousands. It causes severe damage to the natural environment and to agriculture. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease was subsequently legalised for the control of wild rabbits. Also, thanks to extensive farming, food was everywhere. When it was introduced in France in the 1950’s, it became the cause of death for 90% of the wild rabbits in the country. The disease was called myxomatosis, and once rabbits were affected by it, they developed skin tumors, blindness, and suffered from fatigue and fever. Rabbits around a waterhole at the myxomatosis trial enclosure on Wardang Island in 1938. "It was hoped that they would flourish so that the owners could hunt them." In the 1840s, rabbit-keeping was a common practice among colonists, with bunny rabbit thefts showing up in court records. Illustration of H.R.H. It sometimes escaped, but failed to survive in the Australian bush. {{posts[0].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[1].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[2].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, {{posts[3].commentsNum}} {{messages_comments}}, How Japanese Bamboo Helped Edison Make The Light Bulb, Anderson Shelters: The Backyard Bunkers That Saved Britons From Luftwaffe Bombings, Kitsault: The Ghost Town Where Lights Are Still On But No One’s Home, Shrek, The Sheep Who Escaped Shearing for 6 Years, Bolton Strid: A Stream That Swallows People. Most often, they were bred as food animals, probably in cages, and not in vast numbers. On top of that, new farms were always changing the Australian landscape, and many woodlands were transformed into vast areas of low vegetation, something that was perfect for rabbits. All Rights Reserved. Rabbits were first introduced in Australia in 1788. In 1879 wild rabbits were deliberately sent to Victoria to provide game for wealthy settlers to shoot. "Rabbits were introduced as part of a broad attempt by early colonists to make Australia as much like Europe as they possibly could," says Greg Mutze, research officer at the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation in South Australia. The fence was erected in the early 1900s to keep wild rabbits out of farm lands on the western side of the continent. Failed Rabbit Controls in Australia . Introduction of European Rabbits to Australia In 1859, European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were introduced into the Australian wild so that they could be hunted. Rabbits Vegetation Damage Many of our native plants and species wont grow or survive if rabbits are present- and ita not just plague numbers that cause damage. Despite the adoption of new technology and modern agricultural production, the Rabbit Proof fence continues to play an important role in protecting farmers’ livelihoods. Today, sections of the fence are maintained by individual landholders and regional councils. In 1950, a disease called Myxomatosis was introduced to rabbits for population control in Australia and it wiped out 500 million rabbits in two years Mar 30, 2017 Stefan Andrews On 13 May 1787, a group of 11 ships called the First Fleet left England to found a penal colony that became the first European settlement in Australia. Today, the Rabbit Proof fence, now called the State Barrier Fence, stands as a barrier to entry against all invasive species such as dingoes, kangaroos and emus, which damage crops, as well as wild dogs which attack livestock. In the first decades, they do not appear to have been numerous, judging from their absence from archaeological collections of early colonial food remains. Map of the Rabbit-Proof Fences in Western Australia. It’s the Dingo fence and is 5,600 km long. When completed in 1907, it was the longest unbroken fence in the world. Read another story from us: “Roman Lighthouse” at Dover Castle is the oldest building in England. The second fence runs for 1,166 km from Point Ann on the southern coastline, roughly parallel to Fence No.1, which it joins at Gum Creek. Why were rabbits introduced to Australia in the first place? The population of rabbits grew unchecked. Introduction of rabbits to Australia. Early introductions of European rabbits into Australia were domestic breeds that were unable to survive in the wild. Why was introducing foxes ineffective at quelling the rapidly-growing rabbit population? © Amusing Planet, 2021. When first introduced in 1950, rabbit population dropped from an estimated 600 million to around 100 million. One thing is certain, playing a game with nature is dangerous and unpredictable. Wild European rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859, and within 10 years they were causing extensive agricultural damage, prompting the development of a series of largely ineffective rabbit-proof fences in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to keep rabbits in the eastern parts of Australia from invading the western regions. Rabbit meat is an excellent source of lean meat that has low fats, high amount of good proteins, and almost cholesterol free. Many other farms released their rabbits into the wild after Austin. The outbreak was so severe that it is deemed to have been the cause of death to almost 99% of the rabbits on the island. However, genetic resistance in the remaining rabbits allowed the population to recover to 200-300 million by 1991. In the UK, the disease was encouraged in 1953 as a mean of effective biological control measure. Rabbits have set up shop in Australia since the late 18th century, when the First Fleet — 11 ships carrying convicts that founded the first European settlement in Australia — brought them along for food in 1788. (Photo: Wikicommons) CHRIS BUSHELL REMEMBERS FERRETING for rabbits alongside his three siblings and parents around their home at Dry Creek, near Adelaide. The Myxo turned out to be devastatingly effective, reducing the rabbits from 600 million at that point to 100 million in the course of a two-year period. A farmer named Thomas Austin who had a property in Winchelsea, Victoria, is credited with introducing Rabbits are a serious mammalian pests, and invasive species to Australia. Most camels transported were dromedaries – however, there were some bactrian camels, too – and were released into … Myxomatosis was introduced in the early 1950s as a form of pathogenic control but, unlike Australia, it failed to establish through lack of a suitable spreading organism. Why were the rabbits able to reproduce so quickly? The story of the European rabbit in Australia must surely be one of the most amazing examples of an animal's ability to colonise a new land. Wild rabbits were introduced to Australia in the mid to late 1800s at places such as: Canning River (Western Australia) Within ten years, their numbers reached such high figures that even after trapping and shooting up to two million rabbits a year, no noticeable effect was seen in their population. Such wild rabbit populations are a serious mammalian pest and invasive species in Australia causing millions of dollars’ worth of damage to crops. Such a fence was also built in Western Australia between Cape Keraudren and Esperance, in 1907, but the rabbits always found their way round. In 1859 European wild rabbits were introduced into Australia so they could be hunted for sport. Photo credit: drburtoni/Flickr, A cartoon published in the weekly magazine “The Queensland Figaro and Punch” in 1884 in response to Mr Stevenson's (M.L.A.) Explain why this occurred and how this could adversely affect an ecosystem. Rabbits evne in low numbers can prevent generation of many species such as western myalls. They were originally introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788, but the current major infestation appears to be the result of 24 wild rabbits released by Thomas Austin on his Barwon Heads property in 1859 for hunting purposes. Rabbits were introduced to Australia in the 18th century with the First Fleet and soon after that, they spread wide after an outbreak caused by an 1859 release. Eventually, a third fence, Fence No.3, was built running a short distance of 257 km from its junction with No.2 to meet the coast. : The Duke of Edinburgh rabbit shooting at Barwon Park, Victoria in the 1860s. Photo credit: Queensland Figaro and Punch, A Rabbit-proof fence boundary rider who patrol the fence identifying and fixing breaks. Describe how rabbits have negatively affected: the land. On 13 May 1787, a group of 11 ships called the First Fleet left England to found a penal colony that became the first European settlement in Australia. Rabbits were first introduced in Australia in 1788 for their meat, and originally bred in rabbit farms and enclosures, until one October morning in 1859, when an English settler by the name of Thomas Austin released twenty-four wild rabbits on his property so that his guest could entertain themselves by hunting. The first reason why they were introduced in Australia was to be a source of food. The case of rabbits overpopulating Australia is the fastest spread ever recorded of any mammal species anyplace on Earth. Feral rabbit control is complicated because of welfare and harvesting issues, and because both native and introduced predators feed on feral rabbits in many parts of Australia. This option sounded feasible as a solution to the rabbit population crisis in Australia. Unfortunately, even while construction was underway, rabbits were hopping into regions the fences were intended to protect. By eating native plants, they left vast swathes of land with topsoil exposed and vulnerable to erosion. By the 1920s, less than 70 years since its introduction, the rabbit population in Australia ballooned to … Within 50 years rabbits had spread across almost the entire continent, with devastating implications for Australia’s indigenous flora and fauna. The history of the rabbit in Australia demonstrates that people can be really silly. A rabbit trap along the Rabbit Proof Fence. At the time, the man wrote: "The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting." Thomas Austin, a wealthy settler who lived in Victoria, Australia, had 13 European wild rabbits sent to him from across … The disease spread through direct contact with an infected animal or by being bitten by fleas that have fed on a tainted rabbit. Rabbits became part of a colonist’s diet and farmers kept them trapped together with stone enclosures. Also, the rabbit has been known to drive some smaller mammals (such as native mice) out of their burrows, helping foxes (also recently introduced to Australia) catch these smaller mammals, hurting their populations. 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