Rabbits in Australia: Invasive Plague Since 1859

Yes—rabbits are everywhere in Australia. But they don't belong there.

The Origin Story

• 1859: Thomas Austin releases 24 European rabbits on his Victoria estate "for sport"
• No natural predators (no foxes, few raptors, dingoes prefer larger prey)
• Ideal habitat: Grasslands, crops, burrowable soils
• Breeding rate: 30–40 offspring/year per pair; sexual maturity at 3–4 months

Population Explosion

• 1886: Reached Queensland (2,000 km in 27 years)
• 1920s: Estimated 10 billion — most mammal biomass on continent
• Today: ~200 million (post-biocontrol); still in all states/territories

Ecological & Economic Damage

• Grazing competition with livestock — $200M+ annual agricultural loss
• Native plant extinction — selective browsing eliminates seedlings
• Soil erosion — burrowing + denuded vegetation = dust storms
• Native animal decline — habitat loss for bilbies, bettongs, bandicoots

Control Efforts

• 1950: Myxoma virus (myxomatosis) — killed 99% initially; resistance evolved
• 1995: Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV/RHDV2) — recurring knockdowns
• Mechanical: Warren ripping, fumigation, fencing (expensive, localized)
• Genetic: CRISPR gene-drive research (future possibility)

Australia's rabbit saga is the textbook invasive species case study—a cautionary tale of ecological hubris.