"Rabbits in Australia European rabbits (""Oryctolagus cuniculus"") were introduced to Australia in the 18th century with the First Fleet and eventually became widespread. Such wild rabbit populations are a serious mammalian pest and invasive species in Australia causing millions of dollars of damage to crops. Their spread was enhanced probably through the emergence of strong crossbreeds. Various methods in the 20th century have been attempted to control the Australian rabbit population. Conventional methods include shooting rabbits and destroying their warrens, but these had only limited success. In 1907, a rabbit-proof fence was built in Western Australia in an unsuccessful attempt"
"due to government protection.) Between 1901 and 1907, Australia built an immense ""rabbit-proof fence"" to halt the westward expansion of the infestation. The European rabbit, however, can not only jump very high, but also burrow underground, making fencing essentially futile. During the 1950s, the intentional introduction of a virus, ""Myxomatosis cuniiculi"", provided some relief in Australia, but not in New Zealand, where the insect vectors necessary for spread of the disease were not present. Myxomatosis can also infect pet rabbits (the same species). Today's remaining feral rabbits in Australia are largely immune to myxomatosis. A second deadly rabbit virus, rabbit"
"Dingo Fence The Dingo Fence or Dog Fence is a pest-exclusion fence that was built in Australia during the 1880s and finished in 1885, to keep dingoes out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent (where they had largely been exterminated) and protect the sheep flocks of southern Queensland. It is one of the longest structures in the world. It stretches from Jimbour on the Darling Downs near Dalby through thousands of kilometres of arid land ending west of Eyre peninsula on cliffs of the Nullarbor Plain above the Great Australian Bight near Nundroo. It has been partly"
"in Bundaberg. By 1890 developments in refrigeration technologies had opened new markets for types of produce which would previously have spoiled on the two-month-long journey to England. During the early 1880s the Dingo Fence was constructed to protect livestock in south-east Australia. It protected southern Queensland, aiming to stop attacks on sheep from Australia's native dog. The fence was maintained up until the 1970s. experts estimated that $60 million in losses occurs annually in Queensland due to dingoes that have penetrated the barrier. In 1886 the introduced rabbit crossed into southern Queensland, causing yields from pasture production to decrease. The"
"Unlike in Australia, it failed to become established because of a lack of a suitable spreading organism. A vaccine is available for pet rabbits (ATCvet code: ). The vaccine is not allowed to be used in Australia because the live virus in the vaccine has the potential to spread into the wild rabbit population which could result in wild rabbit immunity to myxomatosis. If this happened, there would be a dramatic increase in the number of wild rabbits in Australia, which would cause major damage to the environment and economic losses. Many pet rabbits in Australia continue to die from"
"cone is without rabbits. The European rabbit has been introduced to many places around the world. Rabbits have been a source of environmental problems when introduced into the wild by humans. As a result of their appetites, and the rate at which they breed, feral rabbit depredation can be problematic for agriculture. Gassing, barriers (fences), shooting, snaring, and ferreting have been used to control rabbit populations, but the most effective measures are diseases such as myxomatosis (""myxo"" or ""mixi,"" colloquially) and calicivirus. In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with"
"1952. The Australian government will not allow veterinarians to purchase and use the myxomatosis vaccine that would protect domestic rabbits, for fear that this immunity would be spread into the wild via escaped livestock and pets. This potential consequence is also one motivation for the pet-rabbit ban in Queensland. In Australia, rabbits caged outdoors in areas with high numbers of mosquitoes are vulnerable to myxomatosis. In Europe, fleas are the carriers of myxomatosis. In some countries, annual vaccinations against myxomatosis are available. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), also known as ""viral hemorrhagic disease"" (VHD) or ""rabbit calicivirus disease"" (RCD), is caused"
"had proved unsuccessful. All had to be fenced against rabbits and the wire was difficult to obtain. The new ground yielded more crops than anticipated, but later the whole project was dealt a severe blow. The War Office announced its intention of using a large area of the estate as a tank training ground and despite the need for food production, many of the new crops were ruined, and fences torn down, allowing the ingress of rabbits, which were more destructive than the tanks. After a great deal of damage had been done, it was agreed to fence off small"
"successful, though dingoes can still be found in parts of the southern states. Although the fence has helped reduce losses of sheep to predators, this has been countered by holes in fences found in the 1990s through which dingo offspring have passed and by increased pasture competition from rabbits and kangaroos. The section of the fence in Queensland is also known as the Great Barrier Fence or Wild Dog Barrier Fence 11. It is administered by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Wild Dog Barrier Fence staff consists of 23 employees, including two-person teams that patrol a section of"
"method. Although, ferrets and other mustelid species are used as a control measure, Australia has significantly less wild mustelids to prey on the invasive rabbits than other countries, such as Europe and America, while in their warrens or burrows contributing to rabbit success. Historically, trapping was also frequently used; steel-jawed leg-holding traps were banned in most states in the 1980s on animal cruelty grounds, though trapping continues at a lower level using rubber-jawed traps. All of these techniques are limited to working only in settled areas and are quite labour-intensive. Ring-fencing can be highly effective way of providing a rabbit-free"
"fence is a rabbit fence that extends along part of the Queensland-New South Wales border. In 1929, Arthur Upfield, an Australian writer who had previously worked on the construction of No. 1 Fence, began writing a fictional story which involved a way of disposing of a body in the desert. Before the book was published, stockman Snowy Rowles, an acquaintance of the writer's, carried out at least two murders and disposed of the bodies using the method described in the book. The trial which followed in 1932 was one of the most sensational in the history of Western Australia. A"
"several Chinese Christians to form an association and buy a plot of land to use for agriculture. However, this project failed due to political instability in the region in the early 1900s and the resulting uncertainty of potential investors. Furthermore, many who had already invested demanded their money back because they were unsatisfied with the progress of the project. Although Bliss argued that it was long-term project, the investors persisted and the project was ended. Bliss spent much of his time in China focusing on the immunization of cattle against rinderpest. Rinderpest is a virus of the ""Morbillivirus"" subgroup of"
"for a while, since their introduction to the country in the 1930s. They cause significant damage to farm lands: eating the grass, crops, and causing soil degradation. Many farmers are worried about their livelihoods and the effects that the rabbits will have on food supply and trade, as their numbers are quickly growing out of control. An illegal rabbit-killing virus called the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) was released in 1997 by a group of vigilante farmers, and was very effective initially. After twenty years, however, the rabbits became immune to it. To help desperate farmers, a new strain of"
"Zimbabwe. The official reason for the fence is to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock. Zimbabweans argue that the height of the fence is clearly intended to keep out people. Botswana has responded that the fence is designed to keep out cattle, and to ensure that entrants have their shoes disinfected at legal border crossings. Botswana also argued that the government continues to encourage legal movement into the country. Zimbabwe was unconvinced, and the barrier remains a source of tension. Border zones are areas near borders that have special restrictions on movement. Governments may forbid unauthorised entry to"
"Alfred Canning Alfred Wernam Canning (21 February 1860 – 22 May 1936) was a Western Australian government surveyor. Born at Campbellfield north of Melbourne, he started work in New South Wales as a cadet surveyor and in 1893 joined the Western Australian Department of Lands and Survey. In 1901 a royal commission resulted in Canning being commissioned to survey a route for a barrier fence across the State. Construction of the fence, known as the No. 1 Rabbit Proof Fence was completed in 1907. When completed it was the longest line of unbroken fence in the world. Canning is best"
"the sheep kept away from the fields or crofts. Since then, the flocks on the island have been feral. The wall also unintentionally reduced the chances of crossbreeding, which would have diluted the gene pool of an already vulnerable breed. The wall circles the entire coast of the island, 19 km (12 mi), and is 1.8 metres (6 ft) high, making it one of the largest dry stone walls in the world. In 1999, Historic Scotland described it as a ""unique and important structure"" and designated it an 'A'-list site requiring conservation. This status affords it special protection; any development"
"area. In the 1880s James Moseley ringed Coondambo Station with wire netting and fenced off the watercourses; at the first heatwave the rabbits perished of thirst. Shortly after 1900 he fenced off the deserted Yardea, Paney, Pondana, Yarloo and Thurlga stations in the Gawler Ranges with of wire netting, turning them within a few years from degraded land overrun with rabbits into a profitable sheep run. Well-known modern examples, which also exclude foxes, dogs and cats are Warrawong and Yookamurra wildlife sanctuaries, pioneered by John Wamsley. Two well-known examples of much more extensive fences are: In 1893, a rabbit-proof fence"
"In this area, sisal plants formed a barrier in the past, but these were cleared to make way for an extension of the Norex electrical fence. However, it was never erected because no funds were available to do so. The sisal barrier was also very badly damaged by elephants and monkeys eating the plants. It is debatable whether the sisal ‘fence’ was ever really effective. Farmers along this stretch of the border assisted the military and the police in reporting suspected crossings and illegal immigrants in their areas. Elements of 32 Battalion were used in the Military Area after they"
"into vast areas with low vegetations, creating ideal habitats for rabbits. In a classic example of unintended consequences, rabbits had become so prevalent within ten years of their introduction in 1859 that two million could be shot or trapped annually without having any noticeable effect on the population. It was the fastest spread ever recorded of any mammal anywhere in the world. Today, rabbits are entrenched in the southern and central areas of the country, with scattered populations in the northern deserts. Although the rabbit is a notorious pest, it proved useful to many people during the depressions of the"
"spread. However, a less virulent form of the virus then became prevalent there, which spread more effectively by being less lethal. In Europe, many rabbits are genetically resistant to the original virus that was spread. The survival rate of diseased rabbits has now increased to 35%, while in the 1950s it was near zero. Myxomatosis Myxomatosis is a disease that affects rabbits, caused by the ""myxoma"" virus. It was first observed in Uruguay in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century. It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population (see Rabbits in Australia)."
"not wipe out whole populations might have raised doubts as to their efficacy. In 1950, following research conducted by Frank Fenner, myxoma virus was deliberately released into the rabbit population, causing it to drop from an estimated 600 million to around 100 million. Growing genetic resistance in the remaining rabbits had allowed the population to recover to 200–300 million by 1991. To combat that trend, over three years from June 1991, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) comprehensively tested the potential of calicivirus, which causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), for biological control of wild rabbits. The virus escaped"
"300 kilometres and consisted of several strands of copper wire, backed with barbed wire, and energized to several thousand volts. An estimated 3,000 human fatalities were caused by the fence, as well as the destruction of livestock. Electric fences were used to control livestock in the United States in the early 1930s, and electric fencing technology developed in both the United States and New Zealand. An early application of the electric fence for livestock control was developed in 1936–1937 by New Zealand inventor Bill Gallagher. Built from a car ignition trembler coil set, Gallagher used the device to keep his"
"mesh but some sections in South Australia comprise multi-strand electric fence . The fence line on both sides is cleared to a width. Sheep and cattle stations in Australia protected by the fence are astoundingly large. While varying in size, some stations can be larger than small countries. One station alone in South Australia lost over 11,000 sheep in a year due to dingo attacks before the completion of the fence. As recently as 1991, one station lost 3000 sheep in a year . Sheep farmers fought back by using poisoning, shooting, and eventually constructing the longest fence in the"
"did multiply rapidly. Soon, the appetite of the rabbits far exceeded the available vegetation. Complaints about this and about Japanese poachers of the bird population led President Theodore Roosevelt to declare the Northwestern Hawaiian chain a bird sanctuary in 1909. Schlemmer continued to allow the Japanese to export bird wings illegally and so was removed from the island. But without plant cover, much of the soil and sand became loose and blew about in horrific dust storms. By 1918, the rabbits had eaten so much that the remaining vegetation was only enough to sustain 100 rabbits. Twenty-six plant species had"
"Campaign against Highgate Rabbit Farm The campaign against Highgate Rabbit Farm, also known as the Close Highgate Farm campaign, is a series of direct actions by anti-vivisection activists. Highgate Rabbit Farm in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire in England is licensed by the Home Office to breed rabbits and ferrets for animal-testing facilities, including Huntingdon Life Sciences. Actions have included a raid by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and an arson claimed by the Militant Forces Against HLS. The ALF raid in 2008 saw 129 rabbits removed and £100,000-worth of damage to property. The campaign has been linked to activists involved in"
"The three supposed rabbit-proof fences were initially constructed by the Agriculture Department but after inspections of of completed fence a decision was made that it was generally substandard so the construction was handed over to the P.W.D. in 1904. The department needed to strengthen of the fence before resuming construction. The project was overseen by Richard John Anketell who set up a workforce comprising nine construction parties, 189 camels and 128 horses. The P.W.D. was also responsible for providing mechanical and electrical services to numerous agricultural research stations based remotely around Western Australia. The department also built and maintained the"
"rabbit in Medina, Ohio. In 1991 a strain of the virus, Czech CAPM 351RHDV, was imported to Australia under strict quarantine conditions to research the safety and usefulness of the virus if it was used as a biological control agent against Australia and New Zealand's rabbit pest problem. Testing of the virus was undertaken on Wardang Island in Spencer Gulf off the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. In 1995 the virus escaped quarantine and subsequently killed 10 million rabbits within 8 weeks of its release. In March 2017 a new Korean strain known as RHDV1 K5 was successfully"
"be a less-than-satisfactory control measure. Dr Danysz felt that Broughton Island was a poor choice of test site, and that extensive experiments should be conducted on the mainland. Frank Tidswell, who was his chief Australian collaborator, continued Danysz's trials after he left in 1907, and also began trials of the Yalgogrin, Gundagai and Picton microbes (named for the stations where infected rabbits were found). But there was a lack of financial support from the Federal government, or the collaboration of affected States, that would be necessary to prove that the measure safe and effective. The fact that these pathogens did"
"a house companion, or house rabbit, was promoted. Rabbits can be litter box trained and may come when called, but they need exercise and can damage a house that is not ""rabbit proof"". Especially following the Easter season, unwanted rabbits end up in animal shelters. Because they have become invasive in Australia, pet rabbits are banned in Queensland. Phoenician sailors visiting the coast of Spain c. 12th century BC, mistaking the European rabbit for a species from their homeland (the rock hyrax ""Procavia capensis""), gave it the name ""i-shepan-ham"" (land or island of hyraxes). The captivity of rabbits as a"
"and wind erosion. The removal of this topsoil is devastating to the land, as it takes many hundreds of years to regenerate. By 1887, losses from rabbit damage compelled the New South Wales Government to offer a £25,000 reward for ""any method of success not previously known in the Colony for the effectual extermination of rabbits"". The Commission received 1456 suggestions, including several schemes involving biological controls (see below), but none was found both safe and effective. A Royal Commission was held to investigate the situation in 1901. Once the problem was understood, various control methods were tried to limit"
"South Island. An unsuccessful attempt was made by New Zealand officials to control the spread of the disease. It was, however, being intentionally spread, and several farmers (notably in the Mackenzie Basin area) admitted to processing rabbits that had died from the disease in kitchen blenders for further spreading. Had the disease been introduced at a better time, there would have been a more effective control of the population. However, it was released after breeding had commenced for the season, and rabbits under 2 weeks old at the time of the introduction were resistant to the disease. These young rabbits"
"Dingo attack Dingo attacks on humans are rare but are known to happen. Dingoes are a danger to livestock, especially sheep and young cattle. The 5,614 kilometre Dingo Fence was constructed in Southeast Australia to protect the livestock there from attacks. Wild dogs are fairly large predators, but are much smaller than able-bodied adults and therefore not generally much of a threat to them. However, they can be a serious threat to incapacitated, isolated, outnumbered, or very small humans, especially infants and young children. Humans and dingoes generally tend to avoid each other. In some situations, however, such as on"
"was not very popular and used only sparingly in the first part of the century. Later, it was used successfully in several countries, although it was sometimes seen as too costly or drastic, and depended on a strong central authority to be effective (which was notably lacking in the Dutch Republic). Because of these downsides, numerous attempts were made to inoculate animals against the disease. These attempts met with varying success, but the procedure was not widely used and was no longer practiced at all in 19th-century Western or Central Europe. Rinderpest was an immense problem, but inoculation was not"