Unfortunately, efforts to implement similar biological measures in Europe ended in a catastrophe.
Rabbits around a waterhole at the myxomatosis trial enclosure on Wardang Island in 1938.
Some of the rabbits escaped his property, as expected, and began proliferating as rabbits do.
Thousands of suggestions were received.
Shooting and poisoning rabbits were the most common method suggested to tackle the problem.
Known as therabbit-proof fence, it originally stretched for 1,800 kilometer.
It was extended and reinforced with additional fences, but in vain.
Rabbits continued to be a headache for cattle farmers.
Within three months, the rabbit population collapsed from an estimated 600 million to around 100 million.
Within six weeks, 98 percent of rabbits on his estate was dead.
The impact on France’s rabbit population was staggering.
By 19561957, only 1.3 million rabbits were shot by huntersa 98 percent reduction.
Armand-Delille faced condemnation from rabbit hunters but received accolades from farmers and foresters.
He was prosecuted and, in January 1955, convicted and fined 5,000 francs.
The medal features Armand-Delille on one side and a deceased rabbit on the other.
A survey conducted in UK in 2005 reported that the rabbit population had been increasing three-fold every two years.
