Warren ripping: its impacts on European rabbits and other wildlife of central Australia amid the establishment of rabbit haemorrhagic disease

Abstract

The impacts of warren ripping on European rabbits and other wildlife were studied at four sites in central Australia over a 2.5-year period. At each site, treated (ripped) and untreated plots were established. On the treated plots, warrens were ripped over an area of 20–140 km². Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) became established in central Australia during the study. There were fewer rabbits on ripped plots compared with untreated plots both before and after the establishment of RHD. There was also less sign of exotic predators (red foxes and feral cats) on ripped plots. The amount of dingo sign observed and the number of peregrine falcons, brown falcons, kites and goshawks combined and kestrels and hobby falcons combined changed with time but no treatment effect was detected. No consistent treatment effect was detected for red kangaroos, varanid lizards, small mammals or other raptor species.