Deadly Rabbit Virus Threatens to Wipe Out 90% of UK Wild Population
A devastating rabbit plague originating from China could eliminate up to ninety per cent of the United Kingdom's wild rabbit population, according to veterinary experts. An aggressive and highly contagious virus known as Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) has been silently decimating British bunny numbers for over a decade, but a new, more virulent and deadly variant is now believed to have reached UK shores.
A Silent Killer with No Cure
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease kills infected animals in just two days, causing massive internal haemorrhaging that seeps through their noses and bottoms. The disease is extremely contagious and, critically, there is no known cure. This alarming development follows the historical devastation caused by another viral disease, Myxomatosis, which ravaged rabbit populations across the UK during the 1950s.
Richard Saunders, veterinary advisor for the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), provided a stark warning to The Daily Mail. "Myxomatosis wiped out around 90 per cent of the rabbits in the UK, but then that population has snuck back up," he stated. "I would say RHD will do a similar thing, but I don't see the population coming back up again."
The High-Virulence RHD2 Strain
The deadlier strain, identified as High-Virulence RHD2, poses an imminent threat. Mr Saunders issued a dire prediction: "If we haven't got the high virulence form in the UK already, we're going to get it. It's only a matter of time." Current testing methodologies are not yet accurate enough to reliably distinguish between the new and old strains, creating significant uncertainty about its precise presence within the country.
RHD was first detected in China during the 1980s. It arrived in the United Kingdom in 2013 and has been systematically killing rabbits ever since. However, the emergence of this new variant would dramatically accelerate the population decline, according to Mr Saunders's analysis.
Observations from the Field
It is not only scientific experts who have documented the catastrophic decline in rabbit numbers. Farmer and pest controller Lance, who declined to provide his surname, has witnessed the dramatic drop firsthand during rabbit shooting expeditions in Kent over recent years.
Lance recounted to the Daily Mail: "I do a lot of shooting and we used to think nothing of getting 100 to 150 rabbits on one night of lamping eight to ten years ago. Now you're lucky if you get six." He elaborated on the visible change in the landscape, noting, "I can think back when we used to cut grass for hay and silage, and around the hedges in the fields there was hardly any grass because the rabbits used to graze it like a lawn. Now you can cut right up to the hedgerows because there aren't any."
Ecological and Agricultural Consequences
Lance expressed concern that the disappearance of rabbits could trigger serious knock-on effects within the ecosystem. He fears that hungry foxes, deprived of one of their primary food sources, may turn to attacking farm animals with greater frequency. Consequently, he has ceased shooting and consuming rabbits due to the critically low population numbers. Both Lance and Mr Saunders agree that overhunting is not the root cause, given rabbits' natural proficiency as prolific breeders.
Mr Saunders emphasised the virus's superior lethality compared to human hunters. "People have been trying to hunt them with the intention of wiping them out in certain areas, and haven't come close over decades," he explained. The virus presents a more comprehensive threat because "even if they do develop immunity, the virus may be able to get one step ahead and develop a new strain."
He concluded grimly, "So I think it's fair to say that some form of RHD will be here for the foreseeable future, and that it's going to drop rabbit populations and keep them quite low." The only potential defence for wild rabbits may be to remain scattered in low population densities to hinder the virus's spread until some form of herd immunity can develop.
Human and Domestic Animal Implications
While humans cannot contract the illness, Lance reported he has stopped eating rabbits as a precaution. However, the disease represents a deadly and immediate threat to domestic pet rabbits. A vaccine developed on the European continent is now available for domestic bunnies in the UK. While this offers protection for human-kept animals, vaccinating wild rabbit populations is fraught with immense practical and ethical challenges, as highlighted by Mr Saunders.
A Robust and Globally Spread Virus
RHD is an incredibly resilient virus. Under ideal, steadily cold conditions without ultraviolet light, it can survive for up to eight months without a host body. This remarkable survivability has been instrumental in its global dissemination.
Mr Saunders detailed its spread: "The original form of RHD1 came from China in the 80s, and it was just tracked across the globe on car tyres and shipping containers. It's just another one of these awful ways in which human intervention has caused the death on a population scale of animals out there."
He underscored its pervasive reach, noting, "It's everywhere. It's been identified on tiny, rocky islands with only seabirds living on them. It's been identified in places that don't even have rabbits as predators bring back their infected prey."
The Critical Need for Testing and Funding
With the looming threat of the new high-virulence variant, accurate testing is paramount in the battle against RHD. The RWAF is actively involved in developing more precise tests for the new variant, but the task is proving exceptionally difficult. Mr Saunders has issued a call for increased funding to be directed towards combating this global rabbit pandemic.
Broader Impact on Biodiversity and Farming
The loss of the rabbit population will have tangible effects on people and the environment. Mr Saunders believes farmers may come to miss their presence. "In terms of biodiversity, rabbits are actually quite good in UK farmland because they dig around and they scatter seeds and they get rid of some of the more dominant plants," he explained. "So I almost could see a situation where farmers were quite sad to see them go to encourage them to come back."
Within the animal kingdom, predator populations such as foxes and birds of prey are likely to decline due to the heavy depletion of a major food source. Contrary to Lance's warnings, Mr Saunders suggests this predator decline might actually protect farmers from increased livestock attacks by hungry foxes.
In a final appeal, Mr Saunders added: "It would be lovely if we got some financial assistance with developing testing. It would be lovely if people knew about this so that they can make sure at least the domestic pet rabbits were vaccinated."
