More than a century and a half after Thomas Austin’s release, rabbits remain a leading invasive species problem in Australia. Their impacts are ecological, economic, cultural and managerial — and they continue to push research into genetics, disease ecology, landscape management and social governance. MDPI+1
Ecological consequences (selected impacts)
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Vegetation loss & soil erosion: Intensive grazing and burrowing create bare ground, reduce plant diversity, and destabilize soils — sometimes causing long-term degradation and desertification at local scales. Island ecosystems and remnant native vegetation patches are especially vulnerable. MDPI+1
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Biodiversity knock-on effects: Rabbits compete with native herbivores and alter habitat structure; they also subsidize predators (foxes, feral cats), which can increase predation pressure on small native mammals, birds and reptiles. Conservation reports link rabbit invasion hotspots to declines in many threatened species. Rabbit Free Australia+1
Economic costs
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Estimates vary with method and year, but modern studies and government summaries place annual impact and control costs in the order of hundreds of millions of Australian dollars (one recent figure commonly cited is ~A$200m per year). These costs include lost production, control operations, and environmental restoration. This economic burden motivates ongoing coordinated management and research investment. PestSmart+1
Contemporary management & policy (what’s happening now)
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Integrated control: Modern management emphasizes combining targeted local control (baiting, warren destruction, fencing and shooting) with landscape-scale strategies and biological control where useful. Biocontrol is a tool, not a complete solution. CSIRO
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Recent resurgence: In the last few years authorities have reported renewed surges in rabbit numbers in some regions (Phillip Island, parts of Victoria and other coastal/temperate areas), driven by ideal breeding conditions (wet years), local immunity patterns (benign caliciviruses giving cross-protection), and complex land tenure issues that make coordinated action difficult. In 2024–2025 Australia even appointed a national rabbit management coordinator to help coordinate responses. Financial Times+1
Where research is going
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Genomics & invasion history: Work like the 2022 genomic study ties invasion history to founder events and helps managers understand patterns of spread, genetic diversity and adaptation. PubMed
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Disease ecology & vaccines: Researchers study how benign viruses and environmental factors alter RHDV efficacy, how viral strains evolve, and what this means for strategic releases or emergency measures. PubMed Central+1
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Socio-ecological solutions: Because rabbits operate across private and public land, social coordination (community involvement, cross-jurisdictional policy and funding) is increasingly recognized as essential. The appointment of a national coordinator and regional strategies reflects this shift. Financial Times
References & key sources used
(Selected — use these as links in the blog for readers who want to follow up.)
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Alves JM, et al. A single introduction of wild rabbits triggered the biological invasion of Australia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022. PubMed+1
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National Museum of Australia — “1859: Rabbits introduced into Australia” (Barwon Park / Thomas Austin summary). Defining Moments Digital Classroom
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CSIRO — Biological control of rabbits / Myxomatosis summary. CSIRO
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Abrantes J., et al. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHDV) review (Veterinary Research, 2012). BioMed Central
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PestSmart / government summaries on economic & environmental impacts of rabbits in Australia. PestSmart+1
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Recent news coverage on surges and policy (Financial Times, The Guardian — 2024–2025 reporting on rabbit resurgence and appointment of a national coordinator). Financial Times+1
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Kossoff A., Ecological Impacts of Introduced European Rabbits (Biodiversity, 2024) — for up-to-date reviews of vegetation and island impacts. MDPI
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