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And the closing paragraph pointing out the possible unintended consequences: "In southern Europe, the scarcity of rabbits threatens the conservation of predato
by kbutler 9y ago
And the closing paragraph pointing out the possible unintended consequences:
"In southern Europe, the scarcity of rabbits threatens the conservation of predator species higher up the food chain that are endangered and depend on small-game such as rabbits. These include the Iberian lynx and the Iberian imperial eagle. For that reason biological warfare in Australia is a serious concern for conservation experts working in other parts of the world where the preservation of a viable rabbit population is problematic."
- abraae 9y agoWe have a similar situation in New Zealand. Stoats were introduced by European settlers (ironically, to deal with rabbits, which themselves were introduced, and quickly ran wild). The stoats soon started decimating the native bird population, and are now public enemy number 1. Meanwhile back in Europe, stoat populations are under threat, so NZ provides a potential source of stoats to re-stock elsewhere.