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The following news is taken from the latest This Week at Macquarie.

"As part of the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project and under the management of TASPARKS ranger Justin, we are gearing up to distribute Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease virus to the pest rabbits here.  This pest animal bio-control procedure is being undertaken as a prelude to the aerial laid poison bait programme planned for the coming winter.

It is hoped that the virus (which is completely harmless to other wildlife) will spread effectively and kill rabbits now in order to reduce the number of poison-baited carcasses produced next winter.  We have commenced distribution of chopped carrot to pre-feed rabbits prior to distributing carrot with virus at selected sites around the island, and also trapping for direct injection." (click here to view illustrations of trapping and carrot dispersing).

Go to an earlier ACAP news item to learn more about the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 7 February 2011