Rabbit monitoring

The Rowsley rabbit transect had been monitored for decades by Agriculture Victoria and its various predecessors.  In 2017 Ag Vic decided to apply its resources elsewhere....

Given that there are very few datasets of this kind, especially of this longevity, Moorabool Landcare Network has decided to continue the monitoring.  It provides a valuable insight into the landscape scale implications of land management techniques over time, and can help us better understand our landscape and tailor our projects.

The transect runs for 20 km across several properties, with 12km of this consistent across the long term count.  A spotlight count is undertaken twice a year in April and November, averaged from two nights each time.  

A notable finding is that the impact of baiting alone is quite short lived, whereas warren destruction especially through coordinated ripping, as the basis for ongoing control drives the numbers much lower for much longer.

See our Rabbit Management Guide below for control advice