The Rabbit Invasion That Almost Broke Australia
In 1859, a man released just 24 European rabbits into the wild in Australia so he could hunt them for sport.
That’s it. Twenty-four.
Within decades, those rabbits multiplied into hundreds of millions. They devoured crops, destroyed ecosystems, caused massive soil erosion, and pushed native species toward extinction.
The government tried everything:
*Shooting
*Trapping
*Poison
*Building a 3,256 km rabbit-proof fence
Nothing worked long-term.
Eventually, scientists released viruses (myxomatosis and later calicivirus) just to control the population.
All from 24 rabbits.
Sometimes the smallest decision creates the biggest disaster.
#pasinggrades
In 1859, a man released just 24 European rabbits into the wild in Australia so he could hunt them for sport.
That’s it. Twenty-four.
Within decades, those rabbits multiplied into hundreds of millions. They devoured crops, destroyed ecosystems, caused massive soil erosion, and pushed native species toward extinction.
The government tried everything:
*Shooting
*Trapping
*Poison
*Building a 3,256 km rabbit-proof fence
Nothing worked long-term.
Eventually, scientists released viruses (myxomatosis and later calicivirus) just to control the population.
All from 24 rabbits.
Sometimes the smallest decision creates the biggest disaster.