An Australian rabbiter making a living from pests

The release of rabbits into the Victorian bush in 1859 was an environmental disaster. The 24 animals multiplied to plague numbers that are still with us today. Rabbits affect biodiversity and cause soil erosion by tunnelling into the ground and nibbling plants to the roots.

Trapping provided food and income for many people until it was banned in NSW in 1980. Today it is considered more humane, efficient and effective to control rabbits by destroying burrows, building fences and using viruses such as myxoma and calici.

Photography by Henry King Studio
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Post by Sandra McEwen, Principal Curator