How did rabbits become known as an invasive species or pest in Australia whereas it’s not the case elsewhere in the world?
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Rabbits are an invasive species in the UK, the major difference is that the UK had similar predators around as mainland Europe, mainly hunting hares, so the population was controlled by local predators. Australian predators didn’t evolve to hunt rabbits so the population exploded.
An “invasive species” is a life form (plants and animals can be invasive) that doesn’t have any natural predators in the new environment. The things that keep its population in check in its native environment don’t exist in the new place. So it just breeds and breeds and breeds.
In the rest of the world there are lots of predators that keep the rabbit population down. Primarily foxes but also lynx, falcons and other canines, cat species and predatory birds. For example the number of predatory species in southeast Asia means that the rabbits will not get established there, yet.
In Australia there is no big predators that will hunt rabbits. So the rabbits are able to spread uncontrollably. They are eating the plants that various other animals rely on for feed and can therefore become responsible for extermination of other species. But if we introduce predators to Australia to deal with the rabbits these predators will also hunt other native species and can equally be responsible for the extermination of the species we are trying to save.
An “invasive species” is a life form (plants and animals can be invasive) that doesn’t have any natural predators in the new environment. The things that keep its population in check in its native environment don’t exist in the new place. So it just breeds and breeds and breeds.
An “invasive species” is a life form (plants and animals can be invasive) that doesn’t have any natural predators in the new environment. The things that keep its population in check in its native environment don’t exist in the new place. So it just breeds and breeds and breeds.
The biggest reason rabbits became pests is the lack of natural predators for them in Australia.
I have [hares here in my yard in Eastern Canada](https://www.britannica.com/animal/hare-mammal) but we also have foxes, coyotes, eagles, and to a lesser extent martens, lynxes, cougars and more.
So many predators keep the population in check.
The biggest reason rabbits became pests is the lack of natural predators for them in Australia.
I have [hares here in my yard in Eastern Canada](https://www.britannica.com/animal/hare-mammal) but we also have foxes, coyotes, eagles, and to a lesser extent martens, lynxes, cougars and more.
So many predators keep the population in check.
The biggest reason rabbits became pests is the lack of natural predators for them in Australia.
I have [hares here in my yard in Eastern Canada](https://www.britannica.com/animal/hare-mammal) but we also have foxes, coyotes, eagles, and to a lesser extent martens, lynxes, cougars and more.
So many predators keep the population in check.
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