Rabbits are the most serious mammal pest in Australia, an invasive species being responsible for the extinction of about as many native animals as the fox, and causing millions of dollars worth of damage to agriculture each year. They were originally introduced with the First Fleet in 1788, but the major infestation appears to have been due to 24 wild rabbits released by Thomas Austin on his property in 1859, for hunting purposes.
Rabbits are extremely prolific, and had no true predators to keep numbers down, so they spread rapidly across the southern parts of the Australian continent. Rabbits cause huge damage to agricultural economy. They are also responsible for serious erosion problems, preventing native plant growth to the point of extinction, threatening biodiversity on the continent, ruining gardens, and undermining buildings.
Nowadays, landholders are legally bound to control rabbits to prevent impact on the land and local life. They can control rabbits through death, fertility control or exclusion.
Meat rabbit farming, also called cuniculture, is a very fast-growing industry. It provides income diversification for farmers in rural areas.
See also myxomatosis