Origins of the Rabbit
Rabbits are originally from Spain, parts of Africa and Portugal, but they are now found in many parts of the world including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Chile. Rabbits were found by the Romans and they were taken to Thetford, Norfolk to breed for food and clothing, which was made up of their fur. Eventually, rabbits spread across Europe and were later brought to many other countries through the expeditions of the Europeans to the Americas, Australia and parts of Asia.
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Why Did Rabbits Spread So Fast?
Rabbits were able spread so quickly across Australia and other areas because there was a perfect environment for them to settle and breed. When they were first introduced, the rabbit population was no more than a few dozen, but now, there are thousands. This is mainly due to the fact that all the predators in Australia were not adapted to eating rabbits. Because rabbits have no predators in Australia they thrive. In addition, rabbits also breed rapidly, which allowed the population to grow very rapidly, especially when they were left unchecked by predators.
What Efforts Were Made to Contain the Rabbit Population?
Countries such as Australia have attempted to limit the population of rabbits by encouraging the hunting and killing of rabbit populations. Australia is known for creating the world’s longest connected fence, titled the "Dingo Fence", separating the South East of Australia, in which the rabbit population had been controlled from the relatively wild other parts of the continent. However, due to the tunneling abilities of rabbits, the fence was not successful in its purpose and once again, the population of rabbits grew in the civilized parts of Australia. As with most all other invasive species, it is very nearly impossible to remove their presence. People have also been trying to poison or set fire to rabbit’s homes to control rabbit population. The diseases VHD and Myxomatosis have been used to cause huge damage to the population. The procedure and to do research on controlling rabbits have been costing millions of dollars. Eventually, rabbits developed an immunity to these diseases, making them ineffective.
What Effects Are Rabbits Casting?
Rabbits have been ruining biodiversity by endangering lots of native animals and plants in Australia. The native species that also eat and live like the rabbits have been endangered. They have lost the competition for food and space because of the vast population of rabbits. The ecosystem have also been losing native plants because of the rabbits.
