FOND MEMORIES OF AN AUSTRALIAN TRADITION
WHILE there are no wild rabbits in the Top End, Centralian hunters have been dining out on them for over a hundred years. For those of us that migrated from the southern states to the NT, hunting the humble bunny is one of our fondest memories. For me it was when I became a hunting conservationist. It alerted me to the constant struggle that farmers face every day to make a living out of this land, plagued by pests and weeds.
The war on rabbits has been waged since the late 1800s and continues today. The shotgun and .22 rifle have accounted for untold millions of them. The rabbit sustained the majority of the population during the Great Depression. A swaggie would be hard pressed to afford one at over $25 each these days. I was lucky enough to have a half grown rabbit carcass given to me recently. I cheffed it up with a new recipe and was transported back to a holiday in 1985 when my mates and I dined on rabbit almost exclusively for 10 days.
Well the NT’s rabbits are under attack again. This time with a new biological threat by the name of Calicivirus RHDV1 – K5. This is a variant on the virus RHDV1 originally released in 1995 with devastating results. This variant is a Korean strain. The release of this new strain at more than 600 sites began across the nation during the first week of March. Two of these are situated in Central Australia.
The Australian Veterinary Association says scientists do not expect to see population reductions like those seen with the release of RHDV1 since this new strain is not being released into a naïve population like that in 1995. Knockdowns are expected to be conservative depending on location and susceptibility of the rabbit population to RHDV1 – K5.
It is recommended that all domestic rabbit owners be reminded to vaccinate their rabbits prior to the release of the RHDV1-K5 and/or ensure their animals’ vaccinations are up to date.
This is not the magic silver bullet for farmers and land carers, but another tool in the shed. I hope to do my best with a few bullets of my own in the coming months.
Sporting clay target continues on Fridays at the NT Field and Game range, Micket Creek Shooting Complex, Brandt Rd, Knuckey Lagoon. There are now two grounds with the token system in operation. The ranges will be open from 3pm on Fridays for those who plan ahead and pre purchase ammo and tokens. The sales desk normally opens at 5pm. The next competition is the State of Origin 75T handicap event on May 21.