There they were, now they’re not…

Bunnies that is. When we first came here, there were bunnies everywhere and evidence that the previous owners had tried to bunny-proof fences and plants. They abated and we were told that local landowners found other landowners who had myxomatosis on their land and pinched the ill rabbits to import them and bring the horrible disease with them. The signs are obvious with bulging eyes and stasis. We have had a couple of surges in population since then.

The latest one started around Christmas and we spotted one or two rabbits, which as we know quickly became two or three more. Only this week this little chap was quite happy eating and dozing – here he is picking up grass and little bits of seed from the bird feeders.

Within an hour of this video he was dead. Sandie found him a short distance away in typical dead rabbit mode. Our first reaction was that Mixey was responsible but there were no tell-tale visible signs. Then we noticed that all then other bunnies had vanished – almost as if a switch were clicked. If you Google the disease the full horror of what humans released on the unsuspecting bunnies will be revealed. It is passed on by fleas or mosquitoes but to the best of our knowledge this population is “new” and thriving so it is unlikely to be contaminated from outside. So where did it come from we wonder? I guess the obvious answer is an airborne infection from some way away – interesting in itself how far fleas fly. Or does it remain on the land just waiting for a population to reach a certain level to kick it into action – unlikely, even fanciful.

Another favourite location for several of them as the track to the cottage they would play for hours, and of course saw that the rabbits were of different sizes, proof of a vibrant community. Another question to ask oneself is whether one can remember the usual and regular sight of sightless rabbits standing by the road side the very obvious sign of an outbreak. Finally, has the disease itself morphed into focussing less on eyes but remained just as deadly. We won’t know!