Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia Inc. (RFA)
Rabbit-Free Australia is a publicly subscribed fund to support research, raise awareness and encourage on-ground action to eradicate feral rabbits from Australia.
The European wild rabbit is Australia’s worst vertebrate pest, being widespread and destructive to natural environments and primary production.
Rabbits adversely affect over 300 threatened native species, change landscapes, and cause losses of over $200 million a year to agricultural production.
Mission
To promote the eradication of wild rabbits from Australia by:
- Supporting research and researchers,
- Raising awareness and understanding, and
- Encouraging on-ground control measures.
Vision
Imagine Australia without rabbits. Entire landscapes with more species of plants and more of them, providing habitat for a rich mix of animals from domestic stock and marsupials to birds and reptiles, and the tiniest of insects and spiders.
Help us toward a pulsating web of life that is free of the most notorious pest - the wild European rabbit.
Rabbit Free Australia is committed to rebuilding Australian landscapes that are productive and support abundant native wildlife. The eradication of wild rabbits is a crucial step to that end.
Research
RFA research priorities are:
• New biological controls.
• The impacts of rabbits.
• Rabbit R&D capacity.
Awareness
RFA awareness priorities are:
• Knowledge management.
• Partnerships and public relations.
• Communication.
On-Ground Measures
RFA On-ground priorities are:
• Integrated control and restoration programs.
• Community engagement.
Bilby Emblem
The Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is an Australian native animal that has faced extinction due, in large part, to European wild rabbits. Integrated programs involving breeding bilbies and controlling rabbits and other pests are now helping the recovery of bilby populations in some areas.
Easter Bilby Mascot
The Easter Bilby champions the cause of Rabbit Free Australia – fighting back against rabbits and reclaiming a place in the Australian environment.
Easter Bilby promotes the rabbit control cause following a theme of ‘bilbies not bunnies’.
Get Involved
Rabbit-Free Australia is an environmental charity promoting healthy Australian landscapes through the eradication of wild European rabbits. The Foundation relies on community support through members, volunteers, donors, and social media followers. It couldn’t operate without them.
If you want to support what the Foundation is doing, please ‘Get Involved’.
Easter Bilby's Friends
Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia is helping Easter Bilby and Easter Bilby's Friends tell their stories - tales about the animals (and the plants they rely on) that suffer due to rabbits, and how people are helping them to get their food, their homes and their friends back. A range of children's picture books will tell their stories, backed by the Easter Bilby's Friends website.
The first book, Banjo Frog's Concert Spectacular can be ordered at Wakefield Press.
Supporting information and activity sheets are available at the Easter Bilby's Friends website.