News

New rabbit video series released to coincide with control campaign

Sheep Central, February 13, 2017

rabbits-picture-iacrcA NEW video series on best practice rabbit control is available online to assist Australian land managers apply best practice pest rabbit control during autumn.

The series has been funded by Australian Wool Innovation and developed in conjunction with the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre and its partners.

European rabbits are one of Australia’s most costly pest animals causing upwards of $200 million in damage to the agricultural industry each year and impacting 304 native threatened flora and fauna within Australia.

Invasive Animals CRC chief executive officer Andreas Glanznig said that the new online video series will sharpen up skills on how to undertake and monitor the effectiveness of best practice rabbit control techniques.

“The series includes instructional ‘how-to’ videos on rabbit control procedures such as poison baiting, baiting with biocontrol agents, rabbit warren fumigation and rabbit warren ripping and harbour destruction.

“It is important to undertake an integrated and multi-pronged approach to rabbit control as we know there is no one silver bullet solution,” he said.

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AWI Vertebrate Pest Program manager Ian Evans said rabbits drastically reduce farm carrying capacity through competition for available feed on offer.

“It is a strategic priority at AWI to reduce the impacts and costs of many vertebrate pests for Australia’s woolgrowers.

“This occurs through the effective combination of community-based pest control activities, regional and national coordination of efforts and targeted R&D supporting on-ground activity,” he said.

“This video series is an important way of communicating these significant developments.”

The video series has also been delivered to all those involved in the release of the Korean strain of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV1 K5), on a conveniently sized USB drive within information packs currently being mailed out across the country.

The full video series and online information rabbit control can be found online via www.healthierlandscapes.org.au.

All Australians can get involved in monitoring pest rabbits and report control measures in your region by downloading and using the RabbitScan App at www.rabbitscan.org.au

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