RABBIT AMBUSH
The late spring and early summer months are peak breeding season for rabbits, which means you’ll often see a distinct spike in their numbers around this time. Although the devastating impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease has decimated rabbit populations in some parts of the country, this agricultural pest continues to thrive in many areas, and that’s certainly the case in my neck of the woods.
Today, I’m out responding to a call from a landowner who claims to be overrun with rabbits. Such a comment should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but judging by the damage around the field margins and the presence of a few young bunnies out feeding as I drove along the track, there do seem to be quite a few about.
The rabbits are causing several problems on this holding, and the main one is their burrowing. Ponies are kept in some of these paddocks, and there’s a real risk of one breaking its leg if a misplaced hoof finds its way into one of the numerous rabbit holes that are dotted along the
