Welshpool could gas thousands of nuisance rabbits
Tuesday 12th October 2010, 12:39PM BST.
THOUSANDS OF rabbits could be killed in Welshpool because they are causing serious damage to sports pitches, putting rugby and football players at risk of injury, it has been revealed.
Welshpool Town Council said today it has been unsuccessful in trying to combat the rabbit problem on the Maesydre playing fields.
Robert Robinson, town clerk, said the council had tried everything, but the rabbits had been creating divots and holes on the sports pitches and unless something was done to alleviate the problem injuries would be caused.
He said the town council would now be considering whether the rabbits could be controlled by gas.
“We’ve tried everything to get rid of these rabbits. There are thousands of them on the Maesydre grounds and we just can’t seem to combat the problem,” he said.
“The rabbits have been eating the grass down to the roots on the sports pitches, creating divots and holes and it could result in both football and rugby players getting injured.
“We’ve had a ferret man down there collecting rabbits but there’s just too many of them.
“I think the problem is countrywide but we need to do something before it gets even worse.
“The recreation and leisure committee of the town council has now recommended that the rabbit infestation be controlled by gas under controlled conditions and want this to be applied to all boundaries of the site.”
He said a final decision would be made by councillors at the next full town council meeting on October 27.
Mr Robinson added that the fumigation of burrow systems with either sodium cyanide or aluminium phosphide is the most effective method of control and the operation must be risk assessed according to the provisions of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act (1992).
Councillor Alan Crowe, of Welshpool, said members would be doing all they could to tackle the problem.
“If there is a problem then we need to solve it,” he said. “I personally haven’t seen the rabbits but will be going down there to take a look.”
By Anwen Evans
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I don’t suppose it’s occurred to them to have them humanely shot – at least then the meat won’t be wasted.
The best they can hope for is to reduce the numbers to a manageable level – shooting or the use of ferrets would be the best solution.
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The best way .
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It doesn’t strike me as the best area to have someone fireing a gun. Shotguns would be ineffective as their kill range is too limited and one bang and the rest would be off. a .22 rimfire fitted with a moderator would be a good tool, maybe lamping the rabbits however, HM’s constabulary would have something to say about shooting in a public place.
I don’t know how much work the single ferret man has been doing, it sounds a trifle casual to me. A concerted effort, several experienced ferret handlers, long nets and some perhaps terriers might be more effective if they keep at it over a period of time.
The glut of rabbits on the market would keep Eva Land (below) happy and the local schools, OAP homes etc could save a few quid as well.
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Surely there is a natural solution? This is a terrible way to die.
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Despite there being a massive increase in their numbers it still costs ££3.50 a rabbit or two for £6.00 in the market which isn’t particularly cheap.
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You are paying for transportation, gutting, skinning and the retailers presentation for you to buy.
If you don’t like it, get a gun & a licence and kill them yourself! It will save some some gas!!
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“Robert Robinson, town clerk, said the council had tried everything”
Quite cleary, they haven’t. Gassing would seem to be an extreme measure. It might be quite expensive. How expensive? It might cost a couple of seats on the council. That expensive.
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How about trapping and relocating them?
Getting rid of a few thousand isn’t really a solution. Once you get rid of them, some more will come along. Because they breed like….erm…. rabbits.
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Relocating Bunnies a joke right????
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We don’t need to trap them to relocate them, just leave a trail of carrots. In any case I suspect the rabbits will relocate themselves. One will probably have a vision or something about being gassed and lead his friends on an epic journey where they will encounter adventures and an evil military-type rabbit character and his hench-rabbits to overcome.
I am more concerned that, as referred to in this article, Ferret Man a)exists and b) that he was over-powered by wave after wave of rabbit attacks like in that ‘Night of the Lepus’ movie that had Bones in it from Star Trek. There’s you story Shropshire Star, Go cover it!
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To be honest, if I lived in Welshpool, I’d probably relocate as well, (and pretty quickly and without the need for carrots)!
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Ye Cousins here; Didn’t “Night of the Lepus” also have local Ray Milland in it too? The Ferret Man sounds interesting for a human interest story, but my money’s on the Tazmanian Devil. Caio, the Cousins
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Trap them and serve them up to those pensioners who will soon be eating their meals with children in the schools.
Older people are more used to making do with what’s available and there might even be the possibility that the school children will follow their lead and start eating rabbit rather than McDonalds or prime rib – better for their health and that of their parents’ wallets.
Rabbits are delicious and much under-rated by today’s spoilt consumer. Pop a couple into the stew pot and feed a family of four quite adequately.
Bonus – four lucky rabbit’s foot keyrings per rabbit!
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Aren’t rabbits devoid of nutrition?
I remember a QI show claiming that it is possible to starve if you eat nothing but rabbit…
Not too keen on foisting vermin meat of questionable nutritional value to our OAPs…
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That is correct. There was some story about a load of poachers who were given as much rabbit meat as they wanted, but then all died. Can’t remember what it is, but there was one essential nutritional missing from the meat.
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Rabbit’s are like Vitamin A sponges (I think it’s in their likkle fluffy tails that is the sponge bit). They eat lots of Vitamin A (Carrots) but if you then eat the rabbit you get no vitamin A out. Eat nothing but rabbit (or anything similar) and you die of vitamin A deficiency. Feed pensioners nothing but rabbit AND carrot, they thrive and as a bonus get a Judith Chalmers’ perma-tan and can see in the dark.
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It could cause injuries?…on a sports field???… whatever next!
ridiculous and inhumane.
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You have obviously never broken a leg or ankle from incursion into a rabbit hole.
‘Ridiculous & inhumane’, oh I forgot they are cuddly little furry things……….get over it.
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You’ve obviously never walked along a council maintained footpath. Bigger risk of breaking your leg there….
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Bugs Bunny, Well said, the Council has probably not thought of that. What we need is a Bunney Liaison Officer.
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With unemployment being as it is, surely we could a task force together to catch and move them? Along with the Community Payback scheme villains.
More than happy to take on the job of “BLO”
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Move them where? Perhaps the quarry in Shrewsbury would be a good site.
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Stop persecuting foxes and let them do what they’re good at, controlling rabbit populations!
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Most sensible comment so far!!!
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It sounds like a job for Wallace and Gromit
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We had a pet rabbit that lived a reasonably good rabbity life until she died of cancer aged over ten.
Nevertheless I love rabbit pie with forcemeat balls a Shropshire dish,rabbit and bacon stew and it even works well with stir fry.
Someone has told me this morning that they saw a dead badger (hit by car) that someone had put a woollen jumper over. :0
The rabbit population has increased hugely this last couple of years and I fear for the raiway embankment they have invaded. It must be like a colander now and if we were to get really heavy prolonged rain, the embankment could actually collapse.
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I have a cheaper and surefire method of relocating these rabbits.
Get a very loud sound system and play Des O’Connor songs 24/7 and the little buggers will be only too pleased to decamp.
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If there really are that many of them, and knowing their value as a food source, perhaps the sports fields should be devoted to rabbit production and forget all this ball-kicking nonsense!!! (oops, sorry – forgot it was a religion)
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Your Cousins here yet again; The Town Council is missing a big opportunity here. This Bunny Infestation is the perfect excuse for some creative grantsmanship. You all could promote field tests and research schemes in the line of ex-urban bunny population control methods. Also, Mr. Ns comment from the McDonalds dust up applies here. A tie in with nutritional studies seems feasable. Divide the playing fields up into experimental zones and test the various methods put forward. With the costs of transportation rising constantly as the world muddles through the cross over to the post hydrocarbon economy, local food supplies become more and more desirable. There is a good reason that the lowly bunny is on so many coats of arms. The adoption of such a scheme would fulfill many purposes: employment for the directionless youths who infest our fast food emporia in a dizzying rush to find fleeting stimula to fill their degraded existances, the advancement of human knowledge (a positive under any circumstances,) educational opportunities for the aformentioned youth as they help the boffins advance the frontiers of science, fame and lucre to the Town Council, (perhaps even, dare I say it, elevation of some to the national political arena,) and finally,(did I just hear someone mutter “Thank the Diety”) the self respect and self worth of everyone connected to this great endeavour will soar in the knowledge that we all have Pointed The Way for Personkind! Well, I don’t know about you all, but I feel exalted already. Love and kisses, the Cousins.
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Do you guys have magic mushrooms in America?
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How about not murdering them,and finding another way,The council said they have tried everything but they didn’t actually mention much effort.I think first they should study the damage,and get some expert help first before taking the evil action of gassing them.
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Reading all these replies is killing. I am a midland man and have been looking for shoot for my air rifle near Welshpool for some time if anyone wants me to have a word at my local gun club, I know at least three of us that would come over on a regular basis. Would love a fresh suply of rabbit meat for my family.
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