Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease variants have devastated wild rabbit populations in the UK and Europe, with significant welfare implications for both the rabbits and dependent predators.
RHD causes acute suffering in affected rabbits - internal haemorrhage, respiratory distress, and neurological symptoms precede death. The scale of wild population impact also affects the welfare of predators dependent on rabbits as a food source. Some forms of RHD cause prolonged illness rather than rapid death, extending suffering. For domestic rabbits, vaccination is a straightforward welfare protection. For wild populations, the disease represents a continuing welfare burden with no available intervention at population scale.