PhD opportunity. Ferals and Food Webs.
Can controlling rabbits control feral cats? The University of Tasmania is offering research opportunities in Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand. For more information see NRM jobs.
Category Archives: Research
Rabbits add pressure on snow gums
As if snow gums didn’t have enough to contend with as temperatures rise, rabbits are now an additional pressure. Ken Green of Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Service has discovered rabbits living above the winter snowline, by grazing on the leaves of snow gums regenerating after bushfires. To learn about theories on how rabbits have […]
Phone app to help monitor rabbit disease
The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre has released an app to record sightings of diseased rabbits and to request a tissue sampling kit so the exact cause of the disease may be identified. The information generated through the app will help landholders and researchers understand where different rabbit diseases are occurring. To learn more about […]
Barking up the wrong tree – rabbits a major threat to rangeland vegetation
A recent paper in the Rangeland Journal has concluded that attempts to preserve plant biodiversity by removing livestock are destined to fail in rabbit-grazed rangelands. The paper cites studies that show little evidence of grazing-sensitive plants finding refuge in water-remote areas (sites of low grazing pressure from livestock) – while plant biodiversity gradients are readily […]
Key Facts about rabbit biocontrol
Notes about the history of rabbits and biocontrols in Australia have been uploaded to the PestSmart website. For more information see the Key Facts.
Rabbit control trials announced
The Australian Government has announced that the RHDV1 K5 virus will be released in 2017 at more than 600 trial sites across the nation. For more information, see the media release.
Prey-switching research planned at Roxby
Hugh McGregor is planning to study how cats and foxes respond to the arrival of RHDV2 at the Arid recovery research site at Roxby Downs, in terms of their numbers and diet. For more information see the Arid Recovery News.
Help rabbit control by reporting local activity
In preparation for the release of RHDV1 K5, landholders and the community are being asked to help develop baseline information about rabbit numbers and to provide any evidence of disease-affected rabbits in their area. people can get involved in two ways: Record rabbit activity in your local area in August or September in RabbitScan, preferably after completing a […]
Great booklet about new bio-control RHDV1 K5
A great booklet full of information about the selection of RHDV1 K5 as a new biological control for rabbits in Australia has been produced by the Invasive Animals CRC. The booklet also sets out how landholders can involved in the release of the virus, and gives some history of rabbits and former control measures in Australia.
RHDV2 and RHDV1 – April 2016 update
RHDV1 has been used as a bio-agent for rabbit control in Australia since 1996. A new virus, RHDV2, has now been found in NSW, Victoria and SA. For more information see the Update from the Invasive Animals CRC.