Island gets rid of rats, now overrun with rabbits

[Liberal_in_LA]

The last rat was seen on the tiny island of Canna four years ago after specialist pest controllers were brought in from more than 11,000 miles away to deal with the problem.

But now islanders are complaining that the rodent's disappearance has led to thousands of rabbits invading the island because there are no rats to keep their numbers down.

Even the island's only restaurant has responded to the bounty and put on dishes of rabbit and cranberry with pistachio and rabbit pie in a rosemary and thyme cream sauce.
Island which spent £600,000 getting rid of rats over-run with rabbits

The war against the rats began in 2005 when a team from New Zealand laid deadly bait at 4,200 locations around the five-mile long island, which has little more than 20 residents.

So rapid and successful was the slaughter that the body of the last of around 10,000 brown rats was found and removed in February 2006.

Two years then had to pass without any further sightings before the then Environment Minister Michael Russell declared Canna to be free of rats.

The brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, had threatened to extinguish the island's precious sea bird colonies and kill off one of its smallest and rarest inhabitants - the Canna mouse, distinctive from its mainland counterpart as it is almost 25 per cent bigger.

But with the rats gone, the rabbit population is booming.

"There are thousands of them now - it has reached near plague proportions," said resident Mrs Winnie Mackinnon, 47, who has lived virtually all of her life on Canna.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7634896/Island-which-spent-600000-getting-rid-of-rats-over-run-with-rabbits.html

[Laura902]

1. This is what happens when people mess with nature.....

even with good intentions in mind.

[Richard D]

2. .

http://www.bowhunting.net/susieq/rabbit.html

[aikoaiko]

3. Time for Canna to get their fricassee on.

RABBIT FRICASSEE

Source: Adapted from American Heritage Cookbook (1964)
Recipe By: Chef James
Serving Size: 4

1 Whole Rabbit -- quartered
As Needed Flour
1/4 Cup Butter
to taste Salt and Pepper

1 Medium Yellow Onion -- chopped fine
1 1/2 Cups Red Wine
1/4 Whole Lemon, Zest From
2 Sprigs Parsley
2 Stalks Celery
1 Each Bay Leaf

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Flour

Chopped Parsley -- garnish


Directions:
Cut the rabbit into serving pieces and dust with flour.

Heat butter in a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, add rabbit pieces, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Fry until nicely browned on all sides.

Now stir in onion and cook for a few minutes.

Next, pour in the wine.

Tie Lemon rind, parsley, celery, and bay leaf in a little cheesecloth and drop into the skillet.

Cover and simmer gently until meat is tender - takes about 1 hour.

Lift rabbit onto a hot serving platter.

Discard seasoning bag.

Work flour and butter together until well blended, then add to liquid, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce bubbles.

Pour over rabbit and sprinkle top with chopped parsley.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. There are only 20 people on the island... not enough to consume all those rabbits

[Forkboy]

5. I see a booming bunny industry in no time!

[hobbit709]

6. Or Hassenpfeffer

Hassenpfeffer

Ingredients: 2 rabbits cut into serving pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion
4 whole cloves
12 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup port
2 1/2 cups beef stock or bouillion
Instructions:

Stud the peeled onion with the whole cloves. Make a small bouquet garni by tying the peppercorns, parsley, thyme and bay leaf in a small cheesecloth pouch. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Sprinkle rabbit pieces with salt and pepper and sauté in the butter until brown on all sides. Place in a 3 quart casserole. Add salt, bouquet garni and studded onion, followed by the lemon juice, port and stock or boullion. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Ten minutes before it's done, remove the cheesecloth bag. The pan juices can be thickened to make a gravy.

[hayu_lol]

7. Time to import a few coyotes...

of course that would threaten the other wildlife as well...rats or bunnies, at least they have a choice.

[provis99]

13. the coyotes will grow out of control; but the imported wolves can take care of them.

[City of Mills]

8. Sounds to me like they need to import snakes

That will get the rabbit population under control...

...and when the snakes get out of hand...

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. Bring in cats to control the snakes

[Oregone]

9. Cute rabbits on islands just makes life more fun

I see rabbits daily. Its better than Paxil

[Roon]

12. My Mom's property has tons of rabbits

You always see at least one when you are coming or going.

[Dappleganger]

16. It'll be no problem to round up a few...

they'll take care of that little infestation very quickly.

[Roon]

17. Aaawwww!

My Mother would kill you if you hurt her bunnies. :-)

[gmoney]

10. I know an old lady who swallowed a fly...

of course, if they get rid of the rabbits, they'll be overrun with carrots!

[The2ndWheel]

14. If 20 people on a 5 mile long island can't

find an equilibrium with the rest of life on the island, what are the other almost 7 billion people going to do on an entire planet?

Specialist pest controllers. It's all about our attempt to control.

http://www.ascentofhumanity.com/chapter1-3.php

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. And the hell of it is, give them a few years and the rats will be back anyway.

Every time a boat docks or a plane lands, there's a chance a rat will hop off. Where d'ya think they came from in the first place?