How rabbits invaded Australia?
The British colonists went to Australia with rabbits: Why?
One of the greatest hobbies for the British is hunting, and that's a hobby for sure. The colonists wanted to continue hunting wherever they went. So, in the 1800s, Thomas Austin asked for 13 European Rabbits to be sent to him. He spent his time hunting the rabbits that he set free in his vast landscapes.
Keeping rabbits in your backyard is not the same as letting rabbits loose on huge estates to hunt later. In just 50 years, rabbits have spread from one backyard to the entire continent. There are two main reasons for this: They have no natural enemies and they reproduce very quickly.
Many frightening creatures live on the Australian continent. Among them are giant spiders, snakes and crocodiles. However, most of these creatures don't recognize rabbits and don't include rabbits in their diet. With no natural enemies, there is no other species that controls the rabbit population.
Another factor is the great reproductive potential of rabbits. Rabbits can reproduce from a very early age. Since they can reproduce throughout the year, they can breed more than 4 times a year. In each litter, between 2-5 new rabbits are born.
The rabbit crisis becomes so serious that colonizers and locals start an all-out war against the rabbits. Millions of rabbits perish every year, but the overall rabbit population remains virtually unaffected.
Overgrazing rabbits have also started to prevent plants from growing and producing enough crops. Not only that, but they were also endangering plant and animal species native to the continent. Wild rabbits were also causing the soil to dry out.
Even the world's longest fence could not stop the rabbits. In 1901, the government built an 1837-kilometer fence, but still could not stop the small rodents. When traditional methods failed, biological weapons were used against the rabbits.
Although the European Rabbit was taken to other countries, it could not survive on every continent. For example, rabbits taken to South Africa were plagued with the myxoma virus. This rabbit-specific virus was a highly effective rabbit enemy.
In the 1950s, Australian authorities began releasing rabbits injected with the virus into the wild. More than 90% of the species' members perished because of this virus. Farmers were also destroying rabbit burrows and tunnels, just as they do today. This was the first time that a virus had been deliberately introduced into an animal species to control it.
The remaining 9% of the small rabbit population developed immunity to the disease. They were then able to reproduce so much that they accounted for 40% of the species' lost population. Another virus, RHDV, was then used. This virus was carried by flies. Although it was a very fast-acting virus, especially in arid regions, it was unable to take hold in rainy areas and places where flies did not live.
Even today, viruses, poisons, weapons and various equipment are used all over the continent to fight rabbits. Still, it would be too ambitious for now to say that Australia has won this war. #news #speaking #interestingvideos #youtubevideos #youtubetrending