In most states landholders have a legal obligation to control wild rabbits on their property as they are classed as a pest animal. There is a range of different methods available to control wild rabbits, however the RSPCA is concerned that some of these methods, such as poisoning with pindone or infection with myxomatosis, involve a long, slow and painful death. This article provides some basic advice on how to reduce the impacts of rabbits in a semi-rural setting and outlines the most humane control methods available for small-scale rabbit control.
Integrated control
To be effective, rabbit control should be conducted in an integrated way, which means adopting a range of complementary control strategies in cooperation with neighbouring landholders. Efforts should be concentrated on reducing the impact of rabbits rather than just focusing on killing rabbits in the short term. Long-term control involves an initial effort to reduce rabbit numbers, removing the rabbits’ home, preventing access to potential food sources and reducing the potential for rabbits to re-establish in the same location.
Control methods
Rabbits can be difficult to control when they are in small numbers, and there are few available methods that are inherently humane. However it is possible to improve the humaneness of a control program by ensuring that it is carried out at the most appropriate time and in accordance with best practice.
Where rabbits need to be killed, shooting by a trained and competent shooter is one of the most humane methods available, however it is very time consuming, labour intensive and only effective for small-scale control. Cage trapping followed by killing through cervical dislocation is another option, but has similar limitations. Traps must be well-designed to avoid injury and checked at least every morning. Cervical dislocation requires prior training to be humane. Baiting with pindone is often recommended for rabbit control in semi-rural areas where 1080 cannot be used, but the RSPCA does not consider this as an acceptable control method as affected rabbits take several days to die.
You can find more information about different rabbit control methods and their humaneness in the Model Code of Practice for the Humane Control of Rabbits and associated Standard Operating Procedures:
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/vertebrate-pests/codes/humane-pest-animal-control
Damage prevention
On a small property, the best way over the long term to prevent rabbits from damaging your plants and from digging is to fence them out. This requires a solid or mesh fence with a dug-in section of small-gauge wire at the bottom. Gates will require a concrete or brick base below the gate to prevent rabbits from digging under the gate opening. Individual trees can be protected by wrapping wire mesh around the base of their trunks. Small plants can be netted and wood piles regularly moved or placed on solid ground. Windrows are a common location for rabbit burrows so should be cleared and leveled.
Useful links
The following links provide information on assessing the impact of rabbits and applying rabbit control on-farm or in semi-rural areas. Please bear in mind that some of the methods recommended in these documents are listed as only ‘conditionally acceptable’ in the Model Code of Practice for the Humane Control of Rabbits as they do not result in a rapid and pain-free death:
http://www.ruralresidentialliving.com.au/pests/pest_animals.html
http://www.ruralresidentialliving.com.au/pests/key_resources.html
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/documents/Biosecurity_EnvironmentalPests/IPA-Rabbit-PA11.pdf
http://www.rabbitscan.net.au
