Rabbit invasion in Australia: From 24 to 600 million in 90 years

In 1859, Thomas Austin introduced approximately two dozen European rabbits to his estate in Australia for sport. This seemingly small act led to an exponential population boom, reaching an estimated 600 million rabbits by the late 1940s. The rabbits' unchecked growth was attributed to the "enemy release hypothesis," as Australia lacked natural predators and diseases that controlled rabbit populations in their native Great Britain. This ecological imbalance resulted in severe damage to native vegetation, accelerated soil erosion, and competition with native species, prompting later attempts at biological control. AI

RANK_REASON The item discusses an ecological phenomenon and its biological underpinnings, citing scientific studies and databases. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.1]

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• Animal Diversity Web
• Australia
• Geelong
• Great Britain
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
• Science
• Thomas Austin
• Trends in Ecology & Evolution
• University of Michigan
• Western Australia

• other

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