Easter is a time for New Zealand to eradicate harmful wild rabbits, but this year’s ban has forced residents to consider using a virus to control the rabbit population explosion.
A spokesperson for the Otago Regional Council (ORC) stated on April 5 that the wild rabbit population on New Zealand’s South Island has reached “epidemic” levels, according to the Guardian.
Rabbits are considered a pest in New Zealand. (Photo: Marlborough District Council).
In many countries, rabbits are a beloved symbol of Easter. However, in New Zealand, rabbits are an introduced species that poses a threat to biodiversity, native landscapes, and agriculture.
New Zealand typically hosts the annual Great Easter Bunny Hunt, where hunters compete to see who can kill the most rabbits. In 2022, hunters exterminated 12,000 rabbits. This tradition has been criticized by some as a bloody event.
This year’s hunt has been canceled due to fire risks and health safety concerns. Nevertheless, the rabbit population in the area continues to rise.
“Rabbit densities can reach up to 16 per km2 in some areas. Rabbits have a significant impact on pastures and crops. The amount of food consumed by 10 rabbits is equivalent to that of one sheep,” the ORC stated in a release.
The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries estimates that rabbits cost the country around NZD 50 million (over USD 31 million) each year, along with an additional NZD 25 million spent on pest control.
To manage the rabbit population, the Otago Council hopes the New Zealand government will allow the use of the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV). The first strain of the virus was illegally imported and dispersed in New Zealand in 1997, leading to a severe decline in the rabbit population. Another strain from South Korea was imported and legally used in early 2018.
However, rabbits are becoming increasingly resistant to these viral strains over time.
Otago councilors are considering removing RHDV from the “unwanted organisms list,” facilitating its spread into the environment.
Libby Caldwell, the environmental manager of the ORC, stated that rabbits are “a terrible problem.” In addition to using the virus, the council has developed an action plan for rabbits and implemented rabbit eradication programs.
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