RP219 Killer Rabbits

 RP219 Killer Rabbits

You'd never think of rabbits as dreadful, destructive creatures, would you? Rabbits are cute and cuddly. However, Australians discovered how dangerous these cuties can be.

Rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1788 as food animals. By 1827, they were running around large estates, and in 1859, disaster struck. A man released 12 wild rabbits onto his property for hunting; harmful fun, he must have thought. But Australia has no predators adapted to killing rabbits and none of the diseases that kept their populations under control in Europe. The loose rabbits bred like, well, rabbits, and began to take over the countryside. Within a few decades, there were millions. By 1950, there were 600 million rabbits in Australia.

Six hundred million hungry rabbits can do real harm. They caused more devastation than any other species introduced to the continent. They ate native plant species until they disappeared. They competed for food and shelter with native animals. They caused the extinction or endangerment of numerous plant and animal species. And they were a nightmare for cattle and sheep farmers, whose animals couldn't get enough grass to eat and starved.

The rabbits did some good, of course. They provided food for poor families. They supported fur and felt industries. But their impact on the environment and major livestock economy was too negative to be ignored. People tried trapping them. They even built a huge wall against them. But the most effective weapon was a virus.

After much testing, the deadly myxoma virus was unleashed on Australia's rabbits in 1950. The virus had been very carefully developed to affect only rabbits. Nearly 100 percent of the rabbits who caught the disease died. Populations plummeted. It was a huge success. Cattle and sheep ranching bounced back, and threatened plants were better protected.

Eventually, rabbits became immune to the virus. Another virus was introduced, and it had good results. The rabbits are under control for now, and the continent has learned not to be reckless with new species.