Premium
Eradication of rabbits from landscape scale exclosures: pipedream or possibility?
Author(s) -
Read John L.,
Moseby Katherine E.,
Briffa Jason,
Kilpatrick Adam D.,
Freeman Andrew
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
ecological management and restoration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.472
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1442-8903
pISSN - 1442-7001
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00567.x
Subject(s) - european rabbit , fencing , arid , rabbit (cipher) , biology , ecology , medicine , population , statistics , mathematics , environmental health , parallel computing , computer science
Summary High densities of the European Rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) were eradicated from 60 km 2 of the Arid Recovery Reserve between 1996 and 2001. Eradication was possible due to an initial knockdown caused by rabbit haemorrhagic disease, followed by effective exclusion fencing, broadscale poison baiting, targeted shooting, warren destruction and trapping on rabbit burrows and buckheaps. The efficacy of different broadscale control and intensive rabbit eradication techniques was subsequently estimated in a 26 km 2 expansion to the Reserve from 2002 to 2006. Non‐target implications of these control techniques were also assessed where possible. An estimated 8000 rabbits were removed in total from both areas and results suggest that rabbit eradication is possible at a landscape scale. Strategies for eliminating rabbits from confined areas are suggested.