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Resistant rabbits are fighting back

By James Randerson

17 August 2002

RABBITS in Australia are developing resistance to a widely used poison, raising fears that the authorities are losing their battle to control the invaders. It’s the first time a small mammal other than mice has become resistant to the pesticide, and serves as a warning to countries such as New Zealand that use huge quantities of it.

In some areas of the outback there are as many as 3000 rabbits per square kilometre, giving conservationists and farmers alike a major headache. Attempts to wipe out the animals using lethal viruses have proved only partially successful. Last week, Âé¶¹´«Ã½ revealed…

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