Mass baiting of the fox (the rabbit’s natural predatory enemy) together with an increase of RCD resistant rabbits may mean a scenario of an increase in rabbit numbers post-RCD rather than a decline in rabbit numbers.
This may be one of the reasons why a recent statement was made by CSIRO spokesman Niall Byrne to the effect that the organisation wished to distance itself from the debacle . Niall Byrne stated that “There are so many factors with the virus that no-one can guarantee a kill”
According to an article recently published in the Victorian “Weekly Times” (27.11.96), farmers are complaining that despite baiting and RCD, rabbits are still surviving in large numbers and are actually on the increase in some areas. It seems that many rabbits are immune to rabbit calicivirus at the present time due to having produced RCD antibodies after some prior exposure to RCD.
Some publications have said that the majority of young rabbits who are exposed to RCD may not die from RCD due to various factors. These rabbits may have a long period of immunity to the disease (even the words “lifetime immunity” have been printed).According to the authorities own RCD trials on Wardang Island, the rabbit calicivirus followed a pattern similar to other known caliciviruses i.e.sporadic outbreaks. According to calicivirus experts, a normal pattern of calicivirus infection in a population of animals is for the occurrence of “spotty” sporadic outbreaks. Some animals catch the disease and others don’t. Many rabbits in Western Australia have already come into contact with RCD .Also there has been a large scale increase in fox baiting in WA by CALM etc in operations such as “Western Shield”.The combination of a decrease in fox numbers (the fox being a natural predator of the rabbit) and increases in the number of RCD resistant rabbits may see an overall increase in rabbit numbers.
Rabbit Information service recommends that the Australian
authorities cease the deliberate spread of RCD at once.
It is obvious that the Australian authorities are
not able to predict the future capabilities of
RCD and therefore should not be deliberately spreading
this viral haemorrhagic disease of mammals.
The same authorities have stated in the past that “No guarantees
can be given that RCD will never infect any other species”.
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