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The majority of properties in the Upper Mid-North Region are relatively rabbit free following a successful program using biological control and rabbit warren destruction, says Kevin Teague of Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.
This is the first time the district has seen such low rabbit numbers since they were introduced more than 100 years ago.
The Cradock Landcare Group near Hawker and the Upper North NRM Group were successful in attracting Federal Government ‘Caring for Country’ Funding in excess of $750,000 over 6 years to assist landowners in rabbit warren destruction.
“Calicivirus, or Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD), remains active in controlling rabbits in the Upper Mid-North, but landholders have reported the effects of the virus are seasonal and do not fully control rabbits,” he said.
The program carried out by the Upper North NRM Group and Cradock Landcare Group in partnership with local landowners involved destroying vacated warrens to prevent repopulation when rabbit numbers were at their lowest after the seasonal effects of RHD.
Bulldozers were contracted to rip through soil across empty rabbit warrens to collapse the earth tunnels, preventing new rabbits using the burrows for breeding.
Approximately 40 000 rabbit warrens have been destroyed across more than eighty properties since 2008 said Mr Teague.
Rabbits are a major food source for foxes and therefore a parallel program of fox control was also carried out to protect ground dwelling native animals from subsequent fox predation.
Mr Teague said that there has been a significant increase in native vegetation and biodiversity in the region since the program was implemented.
Rob McCarthy, owner of Yalpara Station near Orroroo, has seen major improvements in his land since he began warren ripping.
“We’ve been doing it solidly for the last four years,” he said.
“Where there were previously rabbit warrens, where there has never been feed for stock before, we are now suddenly seeing feed.”
One major benefit of the program is that Mr McCarthy no longer destocks the property in bad years.
“Spear grasses, salt bush, native feed are all coming back, and lately we have seen an increase in smaller native animals breeding up.
“It’s been very viable, it make the property more viable. We can carry more stock now without doing damage to the land,” he said.
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Article source: http://www.northernargus.com.au/story/1181202/rabbit-program-shows-success/?cs=1239