One man's 1859 gift of rabbits became Australia's worst invasive pest
A pastoralist's 1859 gift of rabbits to Australia spawned 200 million animals. These animals outcompete native wildlife and damage farms.
In 1859, English pastoralist Thomas Austin asked his family to send rabbits because he was homesick and wanted to hunt like back home. On Christmas Day, around two dozen arrived at his Barwon Park estate near Geelong.
He released them. Austin's rabbits were wild stock, not domestic.
They thrived in Australian conditions where nothing naturally controlled them. Today, Australia's wild rabbit population is around 200 million, vastly fewer than a century ago but still devastating.
These rabbits eat up to a third of their body weight daily. They compete directly with endangered wallabies, wombats and other native herbivores.
A single female can produce up to 50 babies a year and breed year-round in some areas. Their burrowing increases erosion and spreads invasive weeds.
Since the 1950s, scientists have used two deadly viruses to slow breeding. More biological controls are now in development.
- Christmas Day 1859
- Rabbits arrived
- Around 200 million
- Current population
- Up to 50
- Babies per female yearly
- Up to one-third body weight
- Daily food intake
Why it mattersRabbits damage Australian agriculture and native ecosystems more severely than any other introduced animal. Scientists and farmers still wrestle with long-term control.
AustraliaAustralia remains caught between a century-old pest and the search for lasting solutions; farmers lose crops and pasture, while native species face ongoing competition from the world's most efficient breeding herbivore.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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