Rabbits around the world
Ed Cook takes a look at wild rabbits around world and the significant impact they have had
There is a wide variety of wild rabbits across the globe. They come in all shapes in sizes.
There is the jackrabbit, which looks like a cross between a brown hare and the European rabbit, and is native to the United States. It has varying degrees of population density across that vast country. There is also the rare and rarely seen Sumatran striped rabbit from Indonesia. Deforestation is said to be the reason for its decline.
There are many other wild species including the cottontail, pygmy, several other species of jackrabbit, such as the antelope, white-tailed and black-tailed rabbits, all found in the United States and Americas, the riverine, found in Africa, and the tapeti, also known as the Brazilian cottontail. Not all are prolific breeders and rabbit populations can fluctuate markedly. For example, the pygmy rabbit in north-west America is classed as endangered due to industrial farming. This is much the same for the volcano rabbit, found in the mountains of Mexico, and the riverine, sad to say.
Cautionary tale
In stark contrast there is the prolific European rabbit, introduced to the UK by the Normans in the 12th century for its meat and fur. It has, in turn, been introduced to many parts of the world with populations in numerous locations. Such are its numbers that over the years it has caused significant problems to the environment and has become one of the top 10 invasive species in the world.
One such notable story is that of the Australian feral rabbit. This creature was introduced to that continent in 1859 by Thomas Austin of Somerset, an English settler, who brought 24 European rabbits to breed for sporting purposes at his Barwon Park bluestone mansion in Victoria, Australia. Perhaps it reminded him of his homeland? Whatever, Austin’s actions had irreversible consequences and by 1870 the rabbits had colonised much of the state of Victoria and had even crossed the Bass Strait to Tasmania.
Such was the proliferation of the former European rabbit it soon became apparent that the rabbits were causing considerable damage to pasture and crops. Over the next 60 years the population increased dramatically and by 1920 it was estimated at a staggering 10 billion. The population boomed until myxomatosis was introduced, a man-made solution to resolve this plague of biblical proportions. This virus had similar results on the UK’s rabbit population when it was introduced back in 1953.
Resilient
But the redoubtable rabbit soon bounced back and even with the intervention of other diseases, the ecological impacts, including aiding the demise of some mammal species, are still present in Australia, New Zealand and many other locations across the world. The population in Australia is now estimated to be around 200 million. The latest UK figure from a couple of years ago is around 600,000, down from a million in 2014/15.
There is also evidence on jackrabbit infestations in the prairie states of the United States. The Dust Bowl jackrabbit drive occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when food was scarce and it was necessary to combat the high number of rabbits eating crops.
But it is the European rabbit that is able to adapt like no other. I wonder if Thomas Austin knew what his original two dozen would become? An example, if ever there was one, of unintended consequences.