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Unexplained dead rabbits


Teal
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Last year a three quarter grown rabbit I was watching bolted ran 20 foot and then keeled over dead. There was a bit if blood around the nose, and it was very strange as otherwise not a mark.

In the last 24 hrs I've now found two quarter grown rabbits in good condition dead, I'm not sure how many others have died and I just haven't found them! Clear eyes and again blood around the nose. Photo below. I didn't see these ones snuff it but my guess is, it is the same thing. Clean eyes, I remember reading some time back about a viral haemorrhage disease but don't recall much detail.

I appreciate everything dies at some stage but the odds of finding one let alone multiple dropping dead suggests a genuine health issue to me. I'm happy to cut it up if anyone knows what to look for? Anyone else seen similar? Rabbit population here isn't high but was building up..

Photos of most recent below 

IMG_20200702_183821.jpg

IMG_20200702_183835.jpg

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That will be RHD2 , (Rabbit haemorrhaging  disease )in  type 2.   This kills them in as little as 4 hours .

They look almost perfect , except for the trickle of blood sometimes found around the nostrils. Here ,around my area , it swept through about three years ago

but slowly , they are recovering.

For , the first year and a half , I could only see rabbits , in' Pets at home', they were virtually wiped out.

I often wondered if, a similar thing could happen to humans ?  Now , there's a thing.

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strange ..........and it looks in good condition..............

i remember walking my dogs with my mate off season a few years ago ....and a big strong healthy cock pheasant burst out of the hedgerow and took flight...my mate lifted his thumbstick and pointed it like a shotgun and swung thro' and shouted BANG...............and the bird dropped out of the sky...........we both stood there with our mouths open ...checked the bird which was perfect apart from a few drops of blood from its beak..........it had medium sized spurs so it wasnt an old bird

very strange tho..........

maybe some sort as deffect as you elude to ?

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Thanks lads! Knew some on here would have the answer! Clearly been rumbling for a while, they get myxy every few years, but this year was the first that rabbits were becoming a little more numerous starting to see them down hedges that had always been barren. I think in part that was down to more aggressive fox control, that said there is no shortage of foxes here despite this.

Being all pasture I quite like seeing a few rabbits about, but guess they'll be hammered in coming months. Ah well at least I know why, thanks again!

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2 hours ago, ditchman said:

strange ..........and it looks in good condition..............

i remember walking my dogs with my mate off season a few years ago ....and a big strong healthy cock pheasant burst out of the hedgerow and took flight...my mate lifted his thumbstick and pointed it like a shotgun and swung thro' and shouted BANG...............and the bird dropped out of the sky...........we both stood there with our mouths open ...checked the bird which was perfect apart from a few drops of blood from its beak..........it had medium sized spurs so it wasnt an old bird

very strange tho..........

maybe some sort as deffect as you elude to ?

My guess is he bought a fully moderated .410 gun cane and didn't tell you, he shouted bang to hide the muffled report....  😀😀

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Looks and sounds like RHD2, common in Cheshire. We back onto farmland and both my boys’ pet rabbits died from it a couple of weeks ago. Shame as they were very tame little things. Personally I could have ringed their necks the amount of extra work they gave me each day, but the boys were very attached to them - so much so they have a hatred of foxes. 

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