Pet owners have been warned to vaccinate their rabbits to avoid them being caught up in a national program to cull the wild rabbit population.
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Orange is among 600 sites around Australia where carrots laced with a new Korean strain of the rabbit calicivirus will be placed on farmland this week in a bid to cut the rampant wild rabbit population causing significant property damage.
Veterinary surgeons have warned the virus can be spread by insects and contact with infected rabbits through people, food, equipment and dust.
Dr John Tracey, the NSW Department of Primary Industries Invasive Species manager, who has been working on the virus release for several years, said the virus can kill pet rabbits.
“Vaccination is the number one action to take,” he said.
“It’s a good vaccine. It’s got a good 20 to 30 year track record.”
Dr Tracey said owners should also consider insect-proof cages.
He said the virus release was the first in more than 20 years and was aimed at seriously cutting Australia’s estimated 1.5 billion wild rabbit population.
“We’ve been working toward this week for the last six to seven years.
“They are by far our most significant pest animal.
“About $200 million a year is lost in agricultural production due to wild rabbits.”
Scott Sullivan, Biosecurity Officer with the Central Tabelands Local Land Services said they would place the baited carrots at about five sites around Orange from Friday.
“Wild rabbits don’t normally eat carrots but with the conditions at the moment we expect they will take up the carrots.”
He said it only needed a few rabbits to eat the killer carrots for the virus to be spread.