Black Rabbit of Inle is a Door-Knocking
It may be the Year of the Rabbit, but from where I'm sitting it looks more like 'Year of the Rabbit-Angel-of-Death.'
Poor bunnies all over the state, including several of my own, have died (slowly and horribly) or had to be euthed because of a mass outbreak of myxo, the likes of which have not been seen in over a decade. Isn't that just peachy. And do you think there's a damn thing we can do? Fuck no! Why? Because for some backwards, clearly retarded, outdated and under-researched reason, the government doesn't think it's a good idea to make the myxo vacc legal in Australia. Because they like to disregard all the scientific evidence. Because they like to make some wild assumption about horizontal resistance. Because they like to think that by prohibiting the vaccine all those wild, invasive rabbits will just continue to die in large numbers. Cause, you know, that's going real well for them nowadays.
Firstly, there's no evidence overseas, where the vaccine is available, of a change in wild rabbit numbers. Secondly, there's no evidence of horizontal antibody transmission from domestic to wild rabbits, and domestic rabbits do not have an opportunity to develop antibodies against the virus anyway. Thirdly, if the argument against the legality of the myxo vaccine in Australia is because of the risk of wild rabbits developing a greater resistance then why do we have a vaccine for the calici virus, released in 1997 as a biological control? Albeit accidentally, but released none-the-less with the anticipated outcome. Lastly; when myxo was released in the 1950's the virus wiped out an estimated 99% of the wild rabbit population. Well, hmm, do ya think the 1% that weren't eradicated by the virus had natural resistance to it and therefore reproduced and subsequently passed on antibodies to successive generations? Wow, that might be just too logical. I had more faith in CSIRO to know biological science better. I mean, fuck, if I can understand these fairly basic biological principles with just with a BSc. then the bigwigs calling the shots with friggin PhD's and Masters should know better... But maybe that's just asking a bit much...
The next blow to the dawning of the Lagomorph is the disappearance of my beloved doe, Munchkin. Seems like she wanted to go on a bunny-adventure and dug herself a burrow. One problem: the burrow seems to pop up on the other side of the fence. Where my dogs are. One of which is a Weimaraner. For those playing at home, wei = master bunny hunter. Yeah... Half my brain is shouting that surely a rabbit wouldn't be dumb enough to go digging into enemy territory. That Ashwyn being a soft-mouthed breed (being that they're bred to retrieve rabbits, not eat them) shouldn't there be a body 'proudly' dumped on her bed? The other, slightly quieter, patient and rational part of my brain is reasoning that she hasn't come back. End of story. So, as I stood in the drizzling rain amongst the rabbits and cages, staring desperately at the hole, I willed myself to hold it together, clenched my jaw and slowly made my way back inside. I tried to keep a tight hold of that control, but as the realisation filtered through I broke down. I'd failed. And now Munchkin is gone...
"...the Black Rabbit of Inle is fear and everlasting darkness. He is a rabbit, but he is that cold, bad dream from which we can only entreat Lord Frith to save us today and tomorrow. When the snare is set in the gap, the Black Rabbit knows where the peg is driven; and when the weasel dances, the Black Rabbit is not far off. You all know how some rabbits seem just to throw their lives away between two jokes and a theft: but the truth is that their foolishness comes from the Black Rabbit, for it is by his will that they do not smell the dog or see the gun. The Black Rabbit brings sickness too. Or again, he will come in the night and call a rabbit by name: and then that rabbit must go out to him, even though he may be young and strong to save himself from any other danger. He goes with the Black Rabbit and leaves no trace behind. Some say that the Black Rabbit hates us and wants our destruction. But the truth is- or so they taught me- that he, too, serves Lord Frith and does no more than his appointed task- to bring about what must be. We come into the world and we have to go: but we do not go merely to served to the turn of one enemy or another." - Excerpt from Watership Down by Richard Adams
I love the smell of my cat's paws. So warm and comforting... I seek them in times of sadness...
Poor bunnies all over the state, including several of my own, have died (slowly and horribly) or had to be euthed because of a mass outbreak of myxo, the likes of which have not been seen in over a decade. Isn't that just peachy. And do you think there's a damn thing we can do? Fuck no! Why? Because for some backwards, clearly retarded, outdated and under-researched reason, the government doesn't think it's a good idea to make the myxo vacc legal in Australia. Because they like to disregard all the scientific evidence. Because they like to make some wild assumption about horizontal resistance. Because they like to think that by prohibiting the vaccine all those wild, invasive rabbits will just continue to die in large numbers. Cause, you know, that's going real well for them nowadays.
Firstly, there's no evidence overseas, where the vaccine is available, of a change in wild rabbit numbers. Secondly, there's no evidence of horizontal antibody transmission from domestic to wild rabbits, and domestic rabbits do not have an opportunity to develop antibodies against the virus anyway. Thirdly, if the argument against the legality of the myxo vaccine in Australia is because of the risk of wild rabbits developing a greater resistance then why do we have a vaccine for the calici virus, released in 1997 as a biological control? Albeit accidentally, but released none-the-less with the anticipated outcome. Lastly; when myxo was released in the 1950's the virus wiped out an estimated 99% of the wild rabbit population. Well, hmm, do ya think the 1% that weren't eradicated by the virus had natural resistance to it and therefore reproduced and subsequently passed on antibodies to successive generations? Wow, that might be just too logical. I had more faith in CSIRO to know biological science better. I mean, fuck, if I can understand these fairly basic biological principles with just with a BSc. then the bigwigs calling the shots with friggin PhD's and Masters should know better... But maybe that's just asking a bit much...
The next blow to the dawning of the Lagomorph is the disappearance of my beloved doe, Munchkin. Seems like she wanted to go on a bunny-adventure and dug herself a burrow. One problem: the burrow seems to pop up on the other side of the fence. Where my dogs are. One of which is a Weimaraner. For those playing at home, wei = master bunny hunter. Yeah... Half my brain is shouting that surely a rabbit wouldn't be dumb enough to go digging into enemy territory. That Ashwyn being a soft-mouthed breed (being that they're bred to retrieve rabbits, not eat them) shouldn't there be a body 'proudly' dumped on her bed? The other, slightly quieter, patient and rational part of my brain is reasoning that she hasn't come back. End of story. So, as I stood in the drizzling rain amongst the rabbits and cages, staring desperately at the hole, I willed myself to hold it together, clenched my jaw and slowly made my way back inside. I tried to keep a tight hold of that control, but as the realisation filtered through I broke down. I'd failed. And now Munchkin is gone...
"...the Black Rabbit of Inle is fear and everlasting darkness. He is a rabbit, but he is that cold, bad dream from which we can only entreat Lord Frith to save us today and tomorrow. When the snare is set in the gap, the Black Rabbit knows where the peg is driven; and when the weasel dances, the Black Rabbit is not far off. You all know how some rabbits seem just to throw their lives away between two jokes and a theft: but the truth is that their foolishness comes from the Black Rabbit, for it is by his will that they do not smell the dog or see the gun. The Black Rabbit brings sickness too. Or again, he will come in the night and call a rabbit by name: and then that rabbit must go out to him, even though he may be young and strong to save himself from any other danger. He goes with the Black Rabbit and leaves no trace behind. Some say that the Black Rabbit hates us and wants our destruction. But the truth is- or so they taught me- that he, too, serves Lord Frith and does no more than his appointed task- to bring about what must be. We come into the world and we have to go: but we do not go merely to served to the turn of one enemy or another." - Excerpt from Watership Down by Richard Adams
I love the smell of my cat's paws. So warm and comforting... I seek them in times of sadness...