RABBITS IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2546, 24 August 1893, Page 3

RABBITS IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

The report of Mr Ritchie, Secretary for Agriculture and Chief Inspector of Stock, dated Ist July last, says under the heading of rabbits:—“ South Canterbury— During the early part of the year I inspected. the line of the South Canterbury rabbit fence, from the Waitaki to the Tasman River, near Mount Cook. This I found in good repair, I was, however, jnuch surprised to find a great many traces of rabbits along the whole line, on both sides of the fence, and, front reports, after careful inspection since made, I learn they are showing all over the country to the northward. There are also evidences of a steady increase in the number on the Hunter Hills and riverbeds op the plains. To deal with tips unexpected increase an almost entirely new staff has been placed jn charge of the South Canterbury district, with instructions to see that energetic measures are at once taken to cope with the evil.”’

The local Stock Inspector, Mr H. Thomson, in hia report, says i-rAs I have only lately taken oygr the Timaru district, am not in a position to speak from my qwn personal knowledge as to whether there has been an increase or otherwise in the number of rabbits within the district. Rabbits are to be found in all the riverbeds, more especially in those where the danse growths of gorse and broom a<v ord them a shelter and refuge, fr- m which " it is a matter of very great difficulty to dislodge them. In only a few of these river-beds, so far as I have yet seen, do they exist in any numbers, and these are now receiving attention. There can be no doubt that a grave danger is to be apprehended of rabbits spreading from the south of the Waihao, and already a good many are to be found on the southern and western slopes of tho Hunter Hills-. As yet they do not seem to have crossed the top of the range, but they are to be found very close to the crest. Active steps to destroy the pest are now being takw by the wupiera in that locality,

but a careful watch will require to be kept that these measures are unremittingly continued. I feel convinced that there we have the real wild rabbit, or at least a rabbit with the infusion of the blood of the Jwild one, to contend with. To the eastward of the Hunter Hills there appears to be as yet only a comparatively small sprinkling of the pest, and these ought to be easily kept under with the exercise of due care. The usual methods of destruction are shooting, dogging, and digging out the burrows. In cases where rabbits are more numerous, such as the country outside the “ rabbit fence,” poisoning in winter is universal, and is always advocated by me where rabbits exist in numbers. Any other means has beyond all doubt a tendency to scatter the rabbits over a still larger area, and thus render their destruction more difficult and the consequent increase more rapid, though less observable for a time. There can be no doubt that stoats and weasles are rapidly increasing at the head of the Ohau 1 ake, and on the country between Lake Ohau and the Tasman River. Instances of their being seen were being constantly reported to me, showing they must be in considerable numbers, as owing to their habits they are difficult to see. I myself have only observed one, a stoat,* on Glentanner run, western side of Tasman River.”