Wild rabbits in the Tamar Valley Cornwall/Devon

[Tamar Man]

Hello all interested wild rabbit watchers.

I am a researcher undertaking wild mammal population and distribution research with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. The CWT are attempting a survey of all terrestrial (and marine) mammals in Cornwall, including the introduced but part of our heritage species, namely the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cunniculus. As an important species in the biodiveristy and food chain in the UK countryside today; this is why we are still wanting to gain an objective understanding of this species distribution and abundance.
An initial survey has suggested that in the Tamar Valley the species is quite healthy, but this is only at an initial stage and localise to certain OS squares, in Explorer (108).
If anyone would like to help in our survey not only determining the wild rabbit population and distribution, but others in the Valley then please contact me here or on
nigel@tamar.greenisp.org for further details.

Thanks,
Nigel Miles
(Tamar Man),
BSc(Hons),PGCE,PhD,MIBiol,FRGS

[naturelover]

hi just thought i would tell you about the wild rabbits on a rounderbout in wisbech cambridgeshire,they have lived on this roundabout for years and people feed them,they look very healthy bunnies to me but thats driving passed in a car,every one around here knows about the rabbits in wisbech its even got in the local papers.

[Tamar Man]

Hello and thanks for your response.

It is good to get a feedback about our wild bunnies from all over the country....if you are ever in the Tamar Valley you can say hello to those you see here.

Now a bit of science....be it may, the wild rabbit is part of the heritage scene in the UK and like the fox, is loved or is a pariah depending on your philosophy and emotions. However the availability of wild rabbits in our ecology is the basis of a healthy mid range food chain and with all respect to "healthy" populations, a healthy food option (low in saturates..and we must not underestimate this...indeed it is a faster turn over to animal protein than virtually any domestiated bird or mammal). Sometimes the loss to landowners is due to false economics...but that depends on whether you are an industrial farmer of biodynamic and organic small scale farmer (eating your veggies)...so it is a complex situation which has not for the 21st Century been really investigated, as far as I am aware at least in the Tamar Valley.

Indeed if you know of or if anyone reading this from English Nature or Natural England (?) or any wildlife trust can update me on this I would be grateful.

The Mammal Society, the JNCC have varying views about the current wild populations of Oc across the UK., varying from a base population of 30 to 40 million, depending on who you want to believe. If anyone can update this on a population density/hectare... basis per landuse (and intra land use type domestic food grazers/crop production -cereals/root crops/market garden produce) to leisure landuse - grazing with horse etc, I would be
grateful. I have my own initial findings and woul lke ot compare with others in the Tamar Valley or elsewhere.

Thanks again and keep watching and recording.
Nigel Miles
Scientist and Sustainable Development Teacher.