In 1778 the First Fleet, a group of English citizens, arrived to establish a new settlement in Australia. They brought with them a number of rabbits, which were to be bred for food. In 1859, Thomas Austin, missing the rabbit hunting he was accustomed to in England, had 24 European rabbits shipped to him so that he could establish a rabbit population large enough that it could be used for hunting in Australia.
What these settlers did not realize is that Australia’s mild winters allow rabbits to breed throughout the year and feed on the abundant low-lying vegetation. By 1886, the rabbit population exploded, despite the fact that over two million of them were shot every year.
The rabbits had become a pest species in their new habitat. Their ravenous appetites caused a drastic loss of native plant species, which in turn increased erosion. This wreaked havoc on both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the area.
The government finally had to resort to dealing with the rising population by promoting increased hunting and trapping, destroying the rabbits’ holes, and introducing viruses that decreased the population by one sixth of its size. However, genetic resistance allowed the number to rise three-fold by the early 1990s. The government tried to use another virus to control the population. This grew out of the government’s control and started infecting many pets around the country. Australia still struggles with rabbits as a pest species today.
What effect did the rabbits have on their new habitat?
the rabbits ate the native plants causing erosion, damaging aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
the rabbits rapidly reproduced, physically occupying areas previously used by humans.
the rabbits retaliated and threw over the Australian government, and soon took over their jobs.