DAMAGE CAUSED BY RABBITS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24800, 14 February 1946, Page 3

DAMAGE CAUSED BY RABBITS

WAIMAKARIRI RIVER ' EMBANKMENTS An increase in the rabbit population oi the Wairnakariri River Trust’s district in spite of continuous trapping was reported by the engineer (Mr H. W. Harris) at the trust’s meeting yesterday. He said that apart from the enormous loss of grazing caused by the rabbits, the damage to embankments, especially along the southern side of the Wairnakariri, was becoming a matter of real concern. Mr Harris suggested steps should be taken to ensure that a co-ordinated comprehensive effort was made to deal with the problem over a much, wider area. The Kowai, Upper Rakaia, and Banks Peninsula Rabbit Boards existed, but otherwise there, was no coordination of control between., the Rakaia and Waipara rivers. Mr Harris said that with the continued dry weather and drying off of available feed, poisoning with oats had been tried out. and in the Halkett area more than 900 rabbits had been picked up after the first laying of poison. This was being continued as an experiment in the hopes of obtaining better results than by trapping. The Eyre riverbed also was very badly infested. _____