Wild rabbits
Background
Rabbits were deliberately released for hunting in Australia in the 1880s. The rate of spread of the rabbit in Australia was the fastest of any invasive mammal in the world.
Impacts
Wild rabbits graze on vegetation, crops and pastures. Rabbit grazing can:
- prevent seedlings from regenerating
- reduce crop yields
- increase competition for feed with livestock.
Rabbits damage native plants and directly compete with native wildlife for food and shelter. Their digging and browsing leads to a loss of vegetation cover, resulting in slope instability and soil erosion.
There are at least 304 Australian threatened species that may be adversely affected by competition and land degradation by rabbits.
Controlling wild rabbits
Landholders are responsible for controlling wild rabbits on their properties under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
The primary methods for controlling wild rabbits are:
- baiting
- warren ripping
- warren fumigation
- biological control
- warren blasting.
You cannot move, sell, keep or release wild rabbits.
Keeping, moving and selling domestic rabbits is prohibited on offshore islands (excluding Wardang Island). Landholders should notify their regional Landscape South Australia (LSA) board if wild rabbits are found on offshore islands.
Warren blasting
Warren blasting involves a machine that delivers a precise mixture of gases into rabbit tunnels, which is then ignited by a remote detonation device. The resulting blast instantly kills the rabbits within the warren and collapses the warren, preventing re-establishment.
Warren blasting is only used once the above primary controls have been used, to reduce the population of rabbits on a property. For more information, contact:
Invasive Species Unit
Email: PIRSA.InvasiveSpecies@sa.gov.au
Phone: (08) 8429 0823
Reporting wild rabbits
RabbitScan provides a tool for reporting wild rabbits, management activities undertaken, and photos of the impacts of wild rabbits.
The information is used to identify practical solutions and coordinated control of wild rabbits.