Hi everyone,
I was out walking yesterday over my local reserve in Upminster Essex and noticed that a few of the wild rabbits were acting very slow and lethargic on closer inspection of one of these animals I noticed the classic signs of myxomatosis - swollen eyes, closed shut, unkept fur, under weight and generally sick looking.
I also noticed some dead rabbits too and these had no external injuries so I presume they died of the disease.
It was really distressing to see this particular animal wandering around not knowing were it was going and the disease itself takes at least 14 days to kill an animal.
I have contacted my local Wildlife trust and reported it but I thought I would also share this with you; so that you are all aware that this diesease could have reared its head once more.
Thank you
Craig
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. - Albert Einstein
That is really sad news but thanks for bringing it to our attention. 14 days to die is just horrendous and makes me so b _ _ _ _ _ angry.
Kind regards Jane.
Unknown said:and makes me so b _ _ _ _ _ angry
Me too! It's disgusting!
Alas it has been present here in Shropshire all the time... thankfully not too many individuals, but one is too many....
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Hi Craig,
Sorry to hear that Myx has hit your area. The disease has never disappeared (though there is evidence to suggest some rabbits are becoming immune to the disease) and appears regularly at rabbit warrens. Where I used to live the rabbits would be hit every other year or so by myx, it is upsetting to see the rabbits especially in the later stages. There is little that the wildlife trust can do to be honest, it is just one of those things, though it may be worth seeing if the local paper will mention it and suggest to owners of pet rabbits they get them vaccinated against the disease if they haven't already been vaccinated. The wild rabbits tend to recover quickly once the disease has passed, a certain density of rabbits is needed to keep the disease going and once the number of rabbits drops below that level the disease will disappear until the rabbit numbers increase again.
Kat
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
I didnt want to alarm people but just to be aware.
Its a terrible, cruel disease but I hope that it dies out as quickly as it comes (hopefully locally to me it may only affect a few animals) that goes also for anywhere else.
KatTai said: Hi Craig, Sorry to hear that Myx has hit your area. The disease has never disappeared (though there is evidence to suggest some rabbits are becoming immune to the disease) and appears regularly at rabbit warrens. Where I used to live the rabbits would be hit every other year or so by myx, it is upsetting to see the rabbits especially in the later stages. There is little that the wildlife trust can do to be honest, it is just one of those things, though it may be worth seeing if the local paper will mention it and suggest to owners of pet rabbits they get them vaccinated against the disease if they haven't already been vaccinated. The wild rabbits tend to recover quickly once the disease has passed, a certain density of rabbits is needed to keep the disease going and once the number of rabbits drops below that level the disease will disappear until the rabbit numbers increase again. Kat
Thats great info there Kat (if not on the sad side)
I thought there wouldnt be much that they could do but just to report the disease maybe of interest to them.
I am going to contact my local authorites and paper as a mention about domestic animals; good call
Many thanks
Craig, I still see the odd one but now very rarely. So sorry you had to find so many suffering such a slow death. I used to know a farmer who would stop his car and kill them. He always said he couldn't watch them suffer.
I hope you put it out its suffering. This is a man made disease which was designed to stop large numbers of rabbits colonizing I believe it was first used in Australia then came here about 50, 60 years ago it was designed to be spread by fleas which works as rabbits do well in hot weather and so do fleas and large colonizes normally mean poorer conditioned rabbits so you then get large out breaks people believe it comes in waves I can assure you it is about all the time but we don't see the little out breaks as they become easy targets for other predators first normally. The only 3 good things I can say about this disease if it good so to speak, They are becoming immune to it, (as you found dead ones i guess this warren is not), healthier ones are more or less left alone by other predators as the sick are easier targets so there numbers build quicker after there out break, and this disease does not pass to any other known species, includes hare to my knowledge. Glad to see you say about vaccine to local papers for domestic rabbits many people don't know there is a vaccine.