Instead, infection in this cohort primes their immune system and leaves them with life-long immunity to the virus. In young rabbits, less than 10 weeks old or so, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus is not lethal. But it’s crucial the biocontrol is released at the right time. Land managers can intentionally release rabbit haemorrhagic disease to help reduce rabbit numbers at more local scales, such as on a farm. They now circulate naturally in Australia and continue to reduce rabbit numbers across the entire country, resulting in enormous environmental and economic benefits. Both viruses have proven to be highly effective in reducing Australia’s rabbit numbers. Two major viral rabbit biocontrols have been introduced to Australia: myxomatosis (introduced in 1950) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (introduced in 1995). David Taggart, Author provided Good intentions but bad outcomes Grazing competition from rabbits has been attributed to the decline of southern hairy-nosed wombats. However, the damage they wreak still costs Australian agriculture an estimated A$200 million annually. Reductions in rabbit numbers after 1950 have been estimated to benefit the agricultural industry to the tune of A$1 billion annually. Rabbits also spread weeds, support populations of introduced predators such as cats and foxes, cause soil erosion and reduce the ability of soil to absorb moisture and support vegetation growth. This has immense flow-on effects for the availability of food and shelter for other animals, such as the dusky hopping mouse, plains mouse and crest-tailed mulgara, and their ability to avoid predators. They prevent the long-term regeneration of trees and shrubs by continually eating young seedlings. Rabbits arguably have the most significant environmental and economic impact of all pest animals in Australia. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus must be released strategically with caution, or the good intentions of land managers may have terrible outcomes. It’s highly likely this widespread inappropriate use has substantial environmental and economic consequences. This potentially leads to the population actually increasing as young rabbits build an immunity to the virus. Land managers play a crucial role in conserving the environment and managing pest species – their involvement is essential to the success of many conservation programs.īut our new research finds around three quarters of land managers who reported releasing the biocontrol don’t follow the recommended guidelines, and release it during the peak rabbit breeding period. To keep rabbit numbers down, many land managers roll out rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, a powerful biocontrol. This is more than double the number of species threatened by cats and foxes. Rabbits are an enormous problem for Australian ecosystems – they’re a major threat to 322 species of plants and animals already at risk of extinction.
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