Maps which show the relationship between distribution and abundance of rabbits and topographic, soil and other land features are an invaluable aid to planning and implementing rabbit management.
Over most of Australia where rabbits use warrens, the primary control technique involves destroying warrens and associated refuges, possibly after initial poisoning if rabbit densities are high. Following primary control, sustained maintenance control by warren ripping or by fumigation is essential.
Using dogs to drive rabbits underground increases the effectiveness of ripping and fumigating. Poisoning without maintenance control provides only short-term relief. The primary role of poisoning is to reduce rabbit density before warren ripping.
When rabbit populations are reduced by drought or myxomatosis, managers should take advantage of the reduced rabbit populations to apply other control techniques, to further reduce and maintain the low densities.
Management is more difficult where a proportion of rabbits dwell on the surface, a situation more common than was previously realised. Poisoning and, where practicable, refuge destruction are important techniques.
A major risk with repeated poisoning is the development of bait and poison avoidance, as has occurred in Western Australia and New Zealand.
Impact of rabbit control on native wildlife:
Predator–prey interactions are complex and little is known about those involving changes in the abundance of rabbits. The following hypotheses are based on ecological theory and limited experimental and anecdotal knowledge. Field experiments are needed before more reliable predictions can be made.
When rabbit numbers are greatly reduced, foxes and cats may turn to native wildlife as alternative prey in the short term. Such increased predation may occur after widespread rabbit control and is similar to the recurrent increased predation which occurs after droughts and myxomatosis outbreaks.
Since rabbits are the primary food of foxes and cats in most of Australia, a longterm reduction in rabbit density might also reduce fox and cat densities, and so reduce their effect on wildlife in the longer term.
Reduced grazing pressure from rabbits might also allow vegetation to recover which could increase habitat and shelter for wildlife and so reduce predation. Reducing rabbit numbers could also reduce numbers of native birds of prey, as rabbits are the main food of many raptors during their breeding seasons.
On the basis of these hypotheses, fox and cat control should be implemented following rabbit control in areas containing susceptible, rare or threatened native species. More information may enable these procedures to be modified.
Information Sourced From:
