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Project removes 158,000 rabbits from farmlands in Toowoomba Regional Council area
February 28, 2021 will signal the end of a program which has resulted in 158,000 rabbits being removed from the breeding cycle on farmlands between Highfields and Upper Yarraman.
Sustainability experts, Southern Queensland Landscapes spearheaded the project together with the Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board, Toowoomba Regional Council and Biosecurity Queensland; over the past three years surveying some 3,200 properties for rabbit infestations.
SQ Landscapes Project Officer & Feral Pest Expert, Lachlan Marshall said 700 of those properties surveyed were identified as battling significant issues.
“With funding provided by the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative (QFPI), we were able to remove 676 breeding warrens from approximately 700 properties,” Mr Marshall said.
“Collectively those warrens were conservatively capable of producing 4,400 offspring per month; so, this program has been running for three years and if you do the Maths that’s about 158,000 rabbits,” he said.
“But when you factor in those rabbits can start breeding at 4 months of age the compounding population impact is around a million rabbits effectively removed from the breeding cycle; and that result has significant implications to the sustainability of farmlands affected.”
Geham grazier Peter Patzwald said the project has made a big difference to his operation.
“It’s been dry for the past couple of years and obviously when it is dry the rabbits are eating something that a cow could be eating instead, so we were very keen to work with the project coordinators and get rid of the rabbits we had in burrows spread over a couple acres,” Mr Patzwald said.
“It’s been great; we’ve been able to get rid of the rabbits and it’s been a real opportunity for us to get some education on a pest that we just didn’t grow up dealing with; we didn’t have the knowledge to know how to get rid of them,” he said.
“But I am amazed at just how easy it was to get rid of them once you knew how and I would absolutely be involved in a project like this again because its provided real results for our business.”
Meanwhile, grazier Mark McLean said through the project he had about 40-50 burrows removed from his property near Crows Nest.
“Rarely do I see a rabbit now. It’s hard to put a price on just how much they were eating but I am sure they were eating a fair bulk of the grass under the cattle,” Mr McLean said.
“And they’d normally go for the sweetest, greenest grass which is good for the cattle too. And if you put improved pastures in, well they’d make a fair dent in that as well,” he said.
“I didn’t believe when Lachlan was telling me at the start of the project that deep ripping their burrows would work; but upsetting their life cycle and destroying their homes has had a huge impact.”
Mr McLean said he had tried trapping, poisoning, fumigating, and shooting in the past and ripping has by far been the most effective pest management tool he has used on his property to date.
“I learnt a very valuable lesson there and I would absolutely recommend anyone with a few rabbits talk to Lachlan and the team at SQ Landscapes about ripping and how they can greatly reduce their rabbit populations,” Mr McLean said.
Southern Queensland Landscapes thanks Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board, TRC and Biosecurity Queensland for collaboration on this project and for their excellent survey work which was vital to the success of this project.
SQ Landscapes is an independent non-government-organisation (NGO) owned by its community, and is dedicated to helping landholders understand their landscapes, adapt to challenges and be excellent stewards of their country.
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