Fluffy ‘Invaders’: The Unexpected Ecological Disaster Brought by Rabbits in Australia
- Dilara Turan
- Jun 24, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 1
These notes serve as both a commentary and summary on the tragic tale of rabbits in Australia, written in response to a short documentary and a brief dive into the subject. The story is one of unintended consequences, where rabbits were introduced to Australia for hunting games by people who failed to realize that this new land was perfect for their proliferation. Human’s naive desire to alter the landscape for hunting games unleashed a wave of ecological chaos, illustrating the folly of greedy interference in nature’s balance.
The documentary, while thorough in its documentation of human attempts to control the rabbit population, lacks an empathetic inquiry from the rabbits’ perspective, as one can feel the approach even from the title: ‘the rabbit’ while rabbits had been killed as millions over a century. This tragic tale provides a poignant example of the need to shift away from anthropocentric viewpoints. By retelling the story through the rabbits’ experience, it can become a cautionary tale of human hubris. This is a short note for future authors of this later anthropocentric reproach.
The tale begins in Spain, where rabbits originally hail from. In Spain, the environment, including human hunters, wolves, and eagles, kept the rabbit population in check, preventing them from becoming a pest. The Normans introduced rabbits to England, where they became integrated into English culture and used for their fur and meat. By the 1800s, European settlers began moving to Australia, and in the 1840s, keeping rabbits in enclosures became common in Tasmania and the southern parts of Australia.
A pivotal moment occurred in 1859 when the clipper ‘Lightning’ arrived in southern Australia with 24 rabbits destined for Thomas Austin, who wanted them for hunting. Austin’s nephew, William Austin, was tasked with sending additional wildlife from England, including more rabbits. Unable to find enough wild grey rabbits, William supplemented the shipment with domestic rabbits. This mixture created a hybrid rabbit population particularly well-suited to Australian conditions. Following Austin’s example, many other farms also released rabbits into the wild.
In just three years, the rabbit population exploded. During a hunting trip, the Duke of Edinburgh shot more than 300 rabbits in one day. By 2022, genomic data confirmed that the feral rabbit population in Australia descended entirely from the rabbits introduced by Austin.
Rabbits soon became a major pest in New South Wales. Early control methods included rabbit drives and constructing rabbit-proof fences, but these efforts failed. By 1887, the situation was desperate. In 1898, scientists from South America and Brazil suggested using the Myxoma virus, which causes a rabbit-specific disease, to control the rabbit population. However, due to concerns about using a disease as a control method, this idea was initially rejected.
Rabbit hunting became a popular yet insufficient method of control. Despite killing up to two million rabbits annually, the population remained a significant problem. In 1951, the Myxoma virus was finally introduced. It worked partially, improving crop yields and increasing income, but many rabbits survived and continued to spread.
In the 1950s, humans finally decided to study rabbits and track changes in their population. Thus, the most extensive studies on rabbits began. Humans discovered the critical role of climate in rabbit survival and colonization. Similarities between the climates of Australia’s southern regions and the western Mediterranean created ideal conditions for rabbits. These areas offered fresh, high-quality vegetation and dry, sandy soil, facilitating extended breeding periods.
Additional control methods included the intentional introduction of cats and foxes, which had limited success. Another failed effort was building rabbit-proof fences that began in Queensland in 1893, with the final segment connecting to the Dingo Fence in 1997. Yet it had no help, other than being physical sings of the rabbit history in Australia.
Meanwhile, the use of viruses and poisons continued, affecting not only rabbits but also their predators. The spread of rabbit fleas further complicated the issue by transmitting diseases. In 2017, Australian authorities released another poison at around 600 locations for control. Domestic rabbit owners were advised to vaccinate their pets for protection, significantly increasing the cost of rabbit meat and making it a rarity. Today, domesticated rabbits are banned as pets in Queensland.
Seen from the rabbit’s perspective, their narrative unfolds as a saga marked by unintended human interference. Initially taken from Spain and eventually relocated to Australia for hunting games, they inadvertently wreaked havoc on the delicate yet perfect ecosystem, multiplying rapidly into a force of nature beyond human control. As unwitting players in a human-driven tragedy, the rabbits endured blame and relentless eradication efforts simply for adapting to their new environment. Seen through their eyes, humans appear as another predator, much like the foxes and cats—only more destructive and illogical in their pursuits. The rabbits thus symbolize unintended ecological agents shaped by human desires, their impact unforeseen, which later resulted in their unjust treatment. As we reflect on their tale, it serves as a stark commentary on the arrogance and shortsightedness of human interference in natural systems—a cycle of disruption and attempted correction that continues to unfold tragically across the globe.
Please check:
Brian Coman (1999). Tooth & Nail: The Story of the Rabbit in Australia. Text Publishing Company.
National Museum Australia: Rabbits introduced, https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/rabbits-introduced
Cite This Article:
Turan, Dilara. “Fluffy ‘Invaders’: The Unexpected Ecological Disaster Brought by Rabbits in Australia.” Hayvanât – Animal History Network, June 24, 2024. 
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