- This topic has 5 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated by clive.
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clive
- Grazalema
Overlooked, overhunted, poisoned and taken for granted for far too long. Now the humble rabbit even has its own LIFE EU project with millions in funding. https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/the-iberian-rabbit/
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clive
- Grazalema
Farmers in Spain are protesting against the “hybrid rabbit”, a cross between domestic and wild rabbit species, which they claim is devastating crops and displacing native rabbits and hares. Protesters accuse the government of deliberately releasing the animal to repopulate endangered species, which has caused harm to the native rabbit and hare populations. The hybrids are larger, more voracious, have more offspring per litter and double the number of litters per year. Farmers have demanded a temporary hunting emergency declaration, a study to clarify when and how the rabbit appeared, and a ban on releasing domestic rabbits into populations of native rabbits.
Full article here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/hybrid-rabbits-in-spain/
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
SteveT
- Yatton
Hi Clive. Is it true that a hybrid rabbit have been released. It always amazes me how few rabbits you see in Spain compared to the UK, considering they are indigenous. Or evidence droppings.
Its never good to introduce new DNA into wild populations. I am sure the domestic DNA will have little advantage in the wild – quite the opposite long term. It may in the short term help lynx potentially if they are proliferating.
Also rabbits must have been breed in the past and semi domesticated for food – or at least been breed selectively for ability to put on weight. These must have gone feral many times. Breeding of rabbits for food is not something I’ve heard of from a historical perspective in Spain but it must have been done.
clive
- Grazalema
Hi Steve, nice to hear from you.
I think your point about captive release, captive release and so on must be true over the centuries. Just from the point of view of convenience and to improve meat supply. Maybe even introducing stock from elsewhere in Europe.
I think, in this case, that this was a knejerk reaction to re introduce rabbits so the lynx can be reintroduced into the same area. The area in the news recently with the hybrids is actually very close to the new project for the Iberian Highlands rewildling project. https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/the-iberian-highlands-rewilding-project/
Also, the “plague” didn’t happen overnight. Its taken years for them to get to the numbers the farmers are talking about. I suspect the releases of a semi wild/domestic stock has been done quietly but its gone wrong when the rabbits have moved down to arable land from the “wild” to take advantage of the easier food supply……
I still don’t get how they have become a plague. Every restaurant should have them on the menu to control a balanced population reducing the amount of factory farmed stock needed for the human food supply…. No?
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
- Yatton
Thanks for this Clive and the link to the Iberian Highland rewilding project.
clive
- Grazalema
Just came across this article that states the hybrid is a bit of a myth after studies showed almost all to be authentic Spanish wild rabbits!
“After studying over 70 populations throughout the peninsula and collecting samples from more than 1,700 rabbits, ‘only two turned out to be hybrids with domestic rabbits.’ While farming associations speak of a ‘hybrid rabbit plague,’ experts claim that they are wild rabbits.”
Después de estudiar a más de 70 poblaciones por toda la península, recogiendo muestras de más de 1.700 conejos, “solamente dos salieron que eran híbridos con doméstico”
Mientras las asociaciones agrarias hablan de “plaga de conejos híbridos”, expertos aseguran que son conejos de monte
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
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