Enderby Island Rabbit
Encyclopedia
The Enderby Island Rabbit, or simply Enderby Rabbit, is a rare breed of domesticated European Rabbit
(Oryctolagus cuniculus) originating from rabbits introduced to Enderby Island
, an uninhabited subantarctic
island in New Zealand
’s Auckland Islands
group, from Australia
in October 1865 to serve as castaway food
. Over 130 years the isolated population became a distinctive variety. The rabbits were eventually exterminated for wildlife management
reasons from Enderby Island in the early 1990s, but a breeding group of 49 rabbits was rescued by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand
in September 1992.
European Rabbit
The European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
(Oryctolagus cuniculus) originating from rabbits introduced to Enderby Island
Enderby Island, New Zealand
-External links:***...
, an uninhabited subantarctic
Subantarctic
The Subantarctic is a region in the southern hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° – 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands in the southern parts of the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and...
island in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s Auckland Islands
Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands are an archipelago of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands and include Auckland Island, Adams Island, Enderby Island, Disappointment Island, Ewing Island, Rose Island, Dundas Island and Green Island, with a combined area of...
group, from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in October 1865 to serve as castaway food
Castaway depot
A castaway depot is a store or hut placed on an isolated island to provide emergency supplies and relief for castaways and victims of shipwrecks...
. Over 130 years the isolated population became a distinctive variety. The rabbits were eventually exterminated for wildlife management
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
reasons from Enderby Island in the early 1990s, but a breeding group of 49 rabbits was rescued by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand
Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand
The Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand was founded in 1988 to conserve, record and promote rare livestock breeds with the aim of maintaining genetic diversity within livestock species...
in September 1992.