Scientific breakthrough to control rabbit populations throughout Australia

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australia has long waged war on wild rabbits and their numbers are increasing in the act. In the past, rabbits caused widespread destruction in plague proportions. But scientific breakthroughs have since made the job of controlling them easier. Experts agree biocontrol is the most effective long-term solution. But that effectiveness could start to wane.

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00:00Small, fluffy and completely feral, there was a time when Australia was overrun with rabbits.

00:08For the past 70 years their numbers have been successfully managed using biocontrols.

00:13Urban areas like Canberra are relying more on physical methods like removing and fumigating burrows and thermal assisted shooting.

00:21What we'd want to see is more biocontrol in the pipeline.

00:25That's what really makes a difference. The physical control is a never-ending battle.

00:30We've actually got a lot of resources put towards rabbit control and there's still a lot of areas we can't get to.

00:36Researchers say a new biocontrol will need to be developed to stay on top of the problem.

00:41Ideally we would do this before rabbit numbers are reaching plague proportions again.

00:45Because it's not about killing lots of rabbits, it's about keeping rabbit numbers low.

00:49But securing ongoing funding is a challenge.

00:52Biocontrol may have become a victim of its own success because numbers have been at historic lows for 10 years.

00:58It's a bit maybe out of sight, out of mind.

01:02Controlling rabbits costs Australia almost $200 million each year.

01:07In the ACT alone, half a million dollars is spent keeping a lid on the population.

01:12We really have to prevent that from happening.

01:14It doesn't take much for rabbits, because they breed like rabbits, to get away again.

01:20Rabbit numbers are on the rise all over Canberra.

01:24Areas that are difficult to treat, or where the rabbits are resistant to the biocontrol measures,

01:29become hotspots where they breed and multiply.

01:32What we're seeing is what happens when we have enough food and favourable seasons for rabbits.

01:41Rabbits may appear harmless, but in high densities can have a devastating impact on agriculture and the environment.

01:48Competing with native animals and plants, but also feeding feral cats and foxes.

01:54If you do have to prioritise your biodiversity dollars, rabbits are a really good target.

01:58Because by targeting rabbits you will achieve a lot of really positive impacts in all directions.

02:05SIRO is also researching other forms of biocontrol, known as gene drives, but those are still decades away.

02:11We're working on the long-term stuff, but in the meantime we need a virus or two.

02:17Light at the end of the burrow.

02:19E-mail us is a lot to trust in the 2011 European Ocean.

02:35A lot of these are self-civикаists that are interested in helping prepare us.

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