TE ANAU -- An autopsy late last month on a dead pet rabbit found on a farm in Sinclair Road confirmed the arrival of RCD in the Te Anau basin.

The five-year-old domestic breed rabbit named Mischief belonged to Sarah Chaloner, 12.

Te Anau Pest Destruction Group chairman Ross Cockburn had said earlier he was disappointed the virus had been brought into the region before a controlled programme had been put in place.

However, he had no idea where the disease had come from or who had released it.

Dead rabbits have been found in various parts of the basin and the disease appeared to be spreading rapidly.

Sarah was heartbroken over the death of her pet and put pen to paper to describe the agony she watched the rabbit go through.

Her letter to The Southland Times is:

"My name is Sarah Chaloner, I am 12 years old and I live in Te Anau. I am writing about the article (on January 31) about RCD in Te Anau.

"It was my pet rabbit, Mischief Thumper Chaloner, that died of RCD and I think it was really cruel. Brian Vidler, our vet, did an autopsy the next day.

"I was devastated, as I was with her when she was dying and I was telling her she'd be all right. She had blood coming out of her nose and she kept throwing little fits.

"Mum rang the vet to see if we could help Mischief. But when Mum got off the phone, Mischief had stopped breathing, I could tell. We buried her in our garden and we made a headstone for her.

"I had a rabbit leash, so I could take her walkies and she loved it.

"Mischief was white with a brown stripe down her back and brown spots. We had Mischief for five years. We got her when she was six weeks old. Mischief died on January 21.

"I think RCD is an extremely cruel way to kill rabbits, especially pet rabbits, and I think they shouldn't have released it in Te Anau. I hope all the rabbits that are left develop an immunity to RCD and the person that released it early feels really stupid, because I think he is.