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Story: Rabbits

Spraying carrots with RHD

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Spraying carrots with RHD

After the government refused to allow the release of either myxomatosis or rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), some farmers illegally released RHD themselves. Later many regional councils spread RHD to ensure that its impact was as wide as possible. This operator is spraying a slurry containing the virus onto bait.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1998/0228/16A

by Craig Simcox

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Robert Peden, Rabbits – Biological control, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15280/spraying-carrots-with-rhd (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Robert Peden, published 1 March 2009.