Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease and Wild Rabbit Welfare

Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) causes mass mortality events in wild rabbit populations, raising welfare concerns about disease spread and population management.

Key Facts

RHD was first recorded in China in 1984 and spread globally through the 1990s
RHD2, a new variant, emerged in France in 2010 and is now widespread in the UK
Wild rabbits can die within 12-36 hours of infection, often with internal bleeding
RHD2 affects rabbits of all ages including young kits, unlike the original strain
Domestic rabbits need vaccination against both RHD strains
Wild rabbit populations have declined by over 60% in the UK since the 1990s
RHD spreads through direct contact, contaminated environments, and insects

Welfare Considerations

Mass mortality from RHD causes significant acute suffering in wild rabbit populations - the disease causes fever, internal haemorrhage, and death within hours to days. The speed of death, while reducing duration of suffering, means rabbits experience severe physiological distress. Beyond individual suffering, population crashes from RHD ripple through ecosystems: predators like foxes, buzzards, stoats and weasels lose a key prey species, leading to population impacts further up the food chain. Domestic rabbits face ongoing exposure risk, and unvaccinated pet rabbits remain extremely vulnerable. The welfare equation includes not just direct rabbit suffering but the downstream effects on predator welfare when prey populations collapse. Responsible rabbit ownership includes annual vaccination against both strains.

What You Can Do

Vaccinate all pet rabbits annually against both RHD1 and RHD2 strains
Report unusual rabbit mortality events to the Animal and Plant Health Agency
Support wildlife disease surveillance programmes that track RHD spread
Keep pet rabbits away from wild rabbit contact zones
Learn about biosecurity for rabbit warrens if you manage land
Donate to rabbit conservation research and habitat restoration projects