Myxomatosis

[agrumpycow]

On a visit to a local nature reserve today I found many rabbits in the meadow suffering badly with myxomatosis. It was quite obviously in the later stages and was quite upsetting to see. I visit the site regularly and it's the first time I have noticed it.
Should the wildlife trust managing the reserve be told about this or is there simply nothing that can be done?

[Dogghound]

Last year we had a massive problem and i mean massive, it must have almost killed all the local rabbits, but this year there are millions, so i would'nt worry, rabbits breed...well like rabbits. They soon recover, its not nice to see but the foxes the stoats etc love it.

A question Do you know if hares catch it? sorry to change the subject abit

[Meles meles]

myxomatosis also gives young owls, fox cubs etc the chance to practice their hunting skills as their prey is slower. Its not a nice thought but as Dogghound rightfully said what you saw is a minute number of the rabbits population. In some sense its an aid in stopping them over populating our island

I doubt if you did report it, nothing will be done. Short of shooting them or trying to quarantine a hundred rabbits or so. Come this time next year I doubt you will notice a difference.

[Ollie]

I have seen several rabbits on my local patch just recently suffering with myxomatosis and have to agree it's not a pleasant site.
Roger

[agrumpycow]

Thanks for your replies, as you say, it's probably a tiny portion of the population, it's just not nice when you come across it so obviously.

[Meles meles]

Its never nice to see these things, We should feel lucky that was only rabbits in this instance and not a mammal that we infrequently see.

[Dogghound]

Yes and it is an introduced virus to control the ever growing population, infact rabbit's built up an immunity to it so that only around 50% of all infected individuals died, in 1996 a second virus rabbit calicivirus was introduced this had a larger effect although it will never wipe out rabbits, there here to stay.

[Meles meles]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yes and it is an introduced virus to control the ever growing population, infact rabbit's built up an immunity to it so that only around 50% of all infected individuals died, in 1996 a second virus rabbit calicivirus was introduced this had a larger effect although it will never wipe out rabbits, there here to stay.

never knew they tried a second

[newfie2007]

I never seen a rabbit with myxomatosis. becouse here we i live theres a lot of rabbits and the only thing that gets them here is. foxs, coyideoes,

[C C]

I've witnessed the effects of VHD/RCD, and its fast. In 2000 it completly wiped out a population near me in under a month. VHD: what every UK rabbit owner needs to know
The population did return, and it returned even greater. It was helping to support a healthy population of Polecat and Fox, plus other predetors . This year myxomatosis has decimated the population again:mad.
Out of interest, myomatosis was first found in Britain in the Autumn of 1953, near a town of Edenbridge in Kent.