The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1887. THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1494, 28 February 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1887. THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Many have been the remedies prescribed to rid those parts of the colonies, to which the rabbit has turned his welcome attentions, of his presence. Poison, traps, and " natural enemies" — stoats, weasels and ferrets for instance — have all been tried but each method of depleting the country of the destructive little rodent finds its objectors. Against the stoats and weasels it is alleged that the curse is worse than the disease, m other words, that having exterminated the rabbit — supposing they turn their undivided attention to " bunny," and of this there appears to be a doubt—the bloodthirsty little vermin introduced to effect that end, will be found a greater scourge than the pest which preceded them. Poison, traps and such like, others aver are I only palliative measures ; they certainly thin the ranks of the rabbits for the time being, but the fecundity of the creatures is so great that a brief cessation of the war waged against them would enable them lo recuperate their strength m numbers. In view of this, therefore, some ingenious person was struck with the idea that if a fatal contagious disease could only be introduced among the rabbits the nuisance would soon be a thing of the past. This scheme had many supporters but it appears that science cannot as yet suggest a disease which might be sewn broadcast among the rabbits, without there also being the danger lof its being communicated to man or the domestic animals. We observe from a contemporary that the Sydney Government have been making enquiries through their AgentGeneral, Sir Saul Samuel, as to whether it is likely that a disease could be introduced that would destroy the rabbits. Dr Hector also makes enquiries on the same subject, and writes to Professor Brown, one of the scientific officers of the Agricultural Department of the Privy Council of Great Britain, asking if he could ascertain the nature of the disease that almost eradicated rabbits from the Sascatchewan district of Canada m 1858---59, The writer .said he had been told that the rabbits were attacked every 7 or 10 years by a murrain that destroyed them. He also said he believed that this dissase was communicated to the rabbits by the animals that preyed upon them. Dr Brown, m reply to these, says he entertained a strong conviction of the inexpediency of attempting to destroy the rabbits by means of the introduction of a fatal contagious disease. Swine fever and tuberculosis could, he thinks, be communicated to rabbits, but there was no evidence to show its communicability from rabbit to rabbit. If ringworm were introduced, it would be communicated to other animals, and probably to man, He would not suggest any measures beyond those # usually employed — namely, poisoning, trapping, shooting, etc., and the introduction of stoats and weasels. It will be seen by the foregoing that, according to Professor Brown, the idea of coping with the rabbits by introducing among them a deadly disease will have to be dispelled.