SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
When a dead rabbit is found, a common sign of the RHD virus is an obvious bleeding from the nostrils, but killing victims quickly, few outward signs are apparent. Of those that survive, particularly youngsters, most develop a fatal jaundice within a few weeks. The virus spreads quickly, passed on by direct contact with infected animals and their body secretions. It can be transmitted by flies and other insects and also spreads on the air.
cells). This would certainly explain the sudden disappearance, and as most die underground there are few visible signs other than an obvious lack of rabbits.
Way back before the appearance of
RHD – and myxomatosis – the healthy wild rabbit was a regular source of sport and featured heavily in the countryman’s diet, certainly in my younger days. There was a constant demand for them from local game dealers, and much of my spare time was spent stalking the hedgerows and pastures to earn a few bob.
Park life
The local wildlife park where I worked part-time would take any amount to feed to the wolves, eagles, Scottish wild cats and, in particular, a family group of European lynx. One of the latter – a hand-reared female – wouldn’t eat much else. Luckily, there were plenty of healthy ones within the confines of the park, where they were always causing problems by digging holes on public walkways and nibbling off specimen shrubs planted to enhance the immaculately tended parkland.
There were a few restrictions. Shooting was only possible after the public had gone home and the rabbits emerged from many small warrens around the park to graze the neatly laundered acres. With so much resident wildlife distributed around the park, everything had to be quietly and discreetly carried out to minimise disturbance. There were also a few offlimits areas, notably near the brown bear enclosure and flamingo pen.
This was well before the moderated .410 was invented, but my bolt-action, seven-shot repeater did the job efficiently and reasonably quietly with light-load cartridges, particularly while mowing the park grass in the evenings. Largely ignored, it was often possible to pop off several from the tractor as I drove past within range. A stroll around the park afterwards could produce several more, but, eventually, numbers fell and survivors became far more wary, despite my varying approach routes.
Head of the herd
Eventually, few remained, apart from those living in the banks surrounding the bison enclosure. So far I hadn’t bothered with them, as anything shot inside the pen would prove rather dangerous to collect. A shade taller than its American cousin, and with slightly bigger horns, the European bison is an impressive beast, and head of this small herd was a huge old bull,
“Way back, the healthy wild rabbit featured heavily in the countryman’s diet”