Patience reaps rewards

A few rabbits is one thing, but when scores of them start burrowing in under a holiday cabin, Mat Manning is sent for to thin them out

- Mat Manning

Rabbit shooting in my part of the West Country took a serious nosedive towards the end of last summer. The simple fact was that the local population of bunnies seemed to disappear almost overnight, with the result that very few landowners had any need to keep their numbers in check.

Not so long ago, myxomatosis — which has been around for decades (see Vintage Times, p54) — was the main culprit when it came to sudden plunges in rabbit populations. The disease took a heavy toll over some years, but there always seemed to be a few resistant rabbits that made it through. And given this mammal’s deserved reputation for rapid breeding, colonies quickly bounced back.

Far more devastating over recent years has been the impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease — usually referred to as RHD or RVHD. This highly infectious illness kills extremely quickly, leaves barely any obvious signs on its victims and has an incredibly high mortality rate. Rabbit populations that appear stable at the start of the week can literally vanish by the weekend when it strikes.

I am fairly certain that RHD caused last year’s sudden decline in rabbit numbers where I live. Thankfully, it appears that the local bunny population is making a comeback. This resilient little creature is living up to that reputation for rapid multiplication and there were plenty of young ones to be seen around the field margins during the latter part of March.

Thriving