Since Newsroom’s investigation into the rabbit plague hitting parts of the South Island we have had many suggestions on ways to extract value from rabbits. Melanie Reid reports on the enterprising small businesses that have sprung up in Otago and Southland aiming to make money out rabbit meat and skins.
Apocalypse Down
Posted inVideo
Rabbits: A million holes in one
Are some government departments to blame for the explosion in the rabbit population beyond Crown lands in Central Otago and Southland? Their neighbours, like Te Anau Golf Club, aren't happy.
Posted inNews
Rabbits move in, penguins die
Watch Part 4: “We have a plague of rabbits and they are attracting a plague of predators.” The rabbit epidemic is being blamed for putting one of our most iconic native species at risk.
Posted inNews
Rabbits: A seaside town over-run
Watch Part 3: A small South Island town is under siege from a plague of rabbits that has taken up residence over the entire area
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Rabbits march on Queenstown
Watch Part 2: A new breed of rabbit has arrived on the scene in Central Otago: the ‘lifestyle rabbit’. With the growth in new multimillion dollar homes and subdivisions comes a headache for landowners.
Posted inInvestigations
Rabbits: 'It's as bad as it's ever been'
Watch Part 1: Rabbits are once again over-running parts of New Zealand. This week, in a series of short videos, Newsroom Investigates lays out the remarkable impacts in the south. Today: devastation for farmers
Posted inNews
A short history of the enemy within
Apocalypse Down: New Zealand has been fighting and losing the battle against rabbits for 160 years. We've tried almost everything over the years to hold back the ravaging of the land, particularly in the South Island.
Posted inEnvironment
Return of the rabbit plague
The saying goes: “Never turn your back on a rabbit, especially in Central Otago”. But we have. And now the population has exploded – again. This week, Newsroom Investigates launches an in-depth series about the South Island rabbit rampage.
