Wildlife

Wild Rabbit UK Decline and Conservation

The UK wild rabbit population has collapsed by over 60% since 1995, with major consequences for dependent predators and grassland ecosystems.

Key Facts

UK wild rabbit populations declined by 60% between 1995 and 2019
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease 2 (RHDV2) has caused additional severe declines since 2018
Myxomatosis continues to cause mass mortality events in surviving populations
Rabbits are a keystone species creating habitat for many other wildlife species
Species including stoats, buzzards, and polecats depend heavily on rabbits for food

Welfare Considerations

Wild rabbit decline affects the welfare of rabbits through disease suffering and the wider ecosystem through prey population collapse. Biosecurity for domestic rabbits and conservation attention to wild populations are both needed.

What You Can Do

Vaccinate pet rabbits against myxomatosis and RHDV2 annually
Report unusual wild rabbit mortality to wildlife disease surveillance networks
Support habitat management that maintains rabbit warren complexes
Engage with the predator-prey ecology of rabbit-dependent species
Contribute rabbit sightings to national wildlife recording schemes