Act now to manage rabbits

THE Victorian Rabbit Action Network, with the support of the City of Greater Bendigo and North Central CMA held a session on managing rabbits on properties at Axedale last week.

VRAN mentor team leader Neil Devanny led the session at the Axedale Hall.

“Rabbits have become a major issue across the state, and we need to act to manage them,” he said.

“We cannot get rid of them, but we can work together to manage them.

“Rabbits are a threat to conservation and natural resource management. Up to $200,000,000 in agricultural production is lost every year due to rabbit infestation.

“Nine rabbits consume as much as one Merino sheep. There are 304 native species threatened across Australia due to the damage they cause and 24 are critically endangered.

“Just two rabbits can become 184 rabbits in 18 months.”

Mr Devanny explained to attendees the techniques to manage rabbits on rural properties.

“The key is to get rid of the warrens,” he said. “If you get rid of the warrens, you get rid of the rabbits.

“But you cannot do it alone. Community involvement is important where everyone works together to manage the problem.

“We all need to own the problem and act together to achieve results.”

A question-and-answer session followed Mr Devanny’s talk where participants shared their experiences.

For further information contact the Victorian Rabbit Action Network by emailing [email protected].