Robben Island Rabbit Cull
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 06:00   

Robben Island Rabbit CullA major cull is taking place on Robben Island of the troublesome rabbit population that was bought to the island by early sailors, to breed as a source of meat. Next month they will be joined by both the islands deer and cats. The deer, which come originally from Europe, were introduced in the mid-20th century.
"The island is heading for ... an environmental disaster," the island museum's acting chief executive Jatti Bredekamp said on Friday. He also stated that the 25000 plus rabbits were causing havoc by destroying vegetation and burrowing under historic buildings.

According to officials the large number of rabbits and deer on the island were stripping almost all the vegetation causing windblown sand to cover roads making them impassable.
"The rabbits have actually started eating stinging nettle," said nature conservator Estelle Esterhuizen.
The animals are to be shot in the evenings and early morning when the tourists have left the island. Esterhuizen said a programme to reduce the rabbit population had been started in November last year which involved trapping the animals and administering a lethal injection. This proved ineffective as the rabbits became trap shy and only a small number were being caught.

"The rabbits have actually started eating stinging nettle," said nature conservator Estelle Esterhuizen.

"Right now we've got to do a drastic drop in numbers. We've got to. The veld just can't handle it."

She said rabbits had even been seen climbing invasive rooikrans bushes to eat the leaves.
At the same time help is being provided to eliminate the rats on the island by the Department of Public Works.
Esterhuizen said the two dozen cats that inhabit the island were preying on the chicks of penguins, the swift tern and Hartlaub's gull, of the threatened oystercatcher, and of the highly endangered bank cormorant rather than the rats as they are harder to catch.
It also hampered attempts to eradicate the invasive rooikrans, as it could not be chopped out unless something was able to grow in its place to hold the sandy
And penguin burrows, used for nesting, were also collapsing because there was no root structure to hold the soil above them.
Environmental officer Mario Leshoro said a census earlier this year counted only 2 400 breeding penguin pairs on the island, compared to more than 6 000 in 2007.
There has been a small culling of the cats and deer that live on the island.

The culling of the rabbits is to continue for four months followed by an assessment of the situation and a three to four year plan being put together.

It has been confirmed, however, that the island's ultimate goal was to get rid of all its rabbits, deer and cats.

There is a small herd of springbok on the island, as well as some steenbok.

 

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peace of eden travel lodge
written by jen , October 20, 2009
how sad, man uses and abuses! we don't deserve to be on this planet called earth!
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reason
written by chameleon , October 20, 2009
the question now remains: will reason prevail or will the conservationists' efforts be hampered by ill conceived sentimentalism from the ranks of unthinking animal rights groups who want to cuddle bunnies on robben island and hug whales in kommetjie instead of allowing responsible action to be taken by scientists?
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...
written by Paul Bewsher , October 20, 2009
Are you sure that this is Robin and not Robben Island?
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