 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
The mrs and I came across a rabbit on the South Downs way near chichester today, just sat in the middle of the path. We stopped and wondered why the guy was sitting still right in front us, before he tilted his head to one side then ran quickly in circles - presumably blind - and straight into the spoke of my stationery wheel. I moved away but he continued careering into the fence.
Contemplated finishing the poor chap off but didn't understand enough what was going on so left nature to do its thing.
Is that myxomatosis then, or just a poorly rabbit? Am I supposed to bop the guy on the head or phone someone and report an outbreak of myxa?
If you can't tell, I grew up in the city 🙂
Most likely myxy, Some rabbits can develop a certain immunity from myxy and recover from an infection but it depends on how strong their immune system is and whether any immunity has been passed down through the genes, it is generally passed through contact or fleas/mosquitoes and if the rabbit concerned is lifeless and blind then you can be pretty sure that the infection has passed into the lungs and the kindest thing to do is to wring it's neck.
The virus was introduced to Europe by a french scientist to clear his estate of rabbits and landowners/farmers in this country were deliberately infecting burrows on their land with live infected rabbits - utterly horrible disease and it pains me to see wild animals limping about due to our human intervention - it's us as humans who are a pox/virus on the earth.
Nothing you can do apart from wring it's neck otherwise a buzzard/crow/weasel/fox will catch it and start to eat it, once they get to the blind stumbling stage then it's pretty certain to die within a few days.
We'll thanks for the info, I did want to understand what was going on. I take it he's no danger to me, apart for the obv city boy vs clawed rabbit, if I were to grab him and do the decent thing. I think that's what I'll go for next time, was clearly not a happy bunny, and quite distressed.
When you wring its neck pull sharply first then turn.
Well said somafunk.
It was probably still high from the rave the other week....
DrP