Rabbits being killed in Swords Business Park

highdef

I have a friend who works in Swords Business Park who regularly sees rabbits around the area of the offices. They do no harm. Just hop around as rabbits tend to do. However today, there were people hunting them down with a dog and they were also laying poison to kill them. Is this even legal? I can't see it being legal. Seeing as foxes can (still) legally be killed and coursing is still legal, it's probably not illegal. Just wondered if anyone had any views on this? I think it's being very cruel and unnecessary

rosyposy

Hi highdef, might be worth their while querying it with the management of the grounds, to get a clearer picture of whats going on:)....Rabbits are classed as vermin so I dont think there would be too much legislation governing it, but am no expert.

The Hill Billy

Chances are that there's not a lot that can be done about this. The landowners are probably within their rights to conduct vermin control on their property.

I must say that poisoning them isn't the right way of doing it. That's just a waste of good rabbit. Better to shoot them & make a stew tbh.

It wasn't me!

Poisons are illegal on meat baits for crows and magpies, due to the likelihood that they'll be taken by raptors. I imagine poisoning rabbits is perfectly legal, though I would agree that a night with an air rifle would be a much better way to deal with them, both in terms of humanity and efficiency. Personally, I don't like poisoning as a control method either. Non-target species will always be at risk. Dogs are better, but shooting, and in an urban environment, shooting with an air rifle, is always going to be better.

artieanna

highdef wrote: »

I have a friend who works in Swords Business Park who regularly sees rabbits around the area of the offices. They do no harm. Just hop around as rabbits tend to do. However today, there were people hunting them down with a dog and they were also laying poison to kill them. Is this even legal? I can't see it being legal. Seeing as foxes can (still) legally be killed and coursing is still legal, it's probably not illegal. Just wondered if anyone had any views on this? I think it's being very cruel and unnecessary

You are right, thats terrible:mad:. I would get onto the local SPCA and see if they can do anything about it.

It wasn't me!

artieanna wrote: »

You are right, thats terrible:mad:. I would get onto the local SPCA and see if they can do anything about it.

But while not the best way of dealing with it, in my opinion, it's not illegal, so what could they do?

artieanna

It wasn't me! wrote: »

But while not the best way of dealing with it, in my opinion, it's not illegal, so what could they do?

Well they may be able to do something and its better than doing nothing!

It wasn't me!

To be honest, they can't really. The use of non-meat poison for verminous species is perfectly legal, so aside from encouraging more use of dogs instead of poison, there isn't anything (Plenty of people wouldn't be willing to go to the bother of acquiring an air rifle when dogs will do the job).

artieanna

Its just not right. Rabbits are not like rats at all...

cherubaul

artieanna wrote: »

Its just not right. Rabbits are not like rats at all...

unfortunately they are.
I know that they are cute and cuddely etc. But due to rabbits herbivorous nature and thus the potential to damage agricultural crops they are classed as vermin.

Granted due to the asshattery that myxy played on the rabbit population in this country its a joke they are classed as such. In my area there are feck all rabbits at all anymore.

Its all fine and dandy for people (myself included ) to say this and that isn't right etc but at the end of the day people always come before animals.

It wasn't me!

Rabbits can muck up a place pretty badly, between excrement and ruining lawns and the like. In some places they can even make a significant dent in dairy grazing pastures, which is mad given the size of them, but they eat pretty constantly. Rabbits should be controlled, like foxes, grey crows, magpies, pigeons and all other vermin, especially where they're a major problem. Besides, they're pretty damn tasty, and it's a shame good meat is being wasted in Swords.

artieanna

I think its a shame to kill rabbits if they are doing no harm...What harm can they do in a Business park, Come on they're hardly eating a crop of cabbage plants there.

I am very aware of rabbits dessimating crops and control is need in these circumstances, I just think it is wrong if they are being culled and it's not necessary.

It wasn't me!

They could be ruining lawns or flowerbeds; they produce a large amount of droppings; they could simply be deemed unsightly around the place. I don't know why they're being killed, but someone's got a reason, or they wouldn't be going to the effort, and it's not illegal. Frankly, I think it's a pity if they're going to waste, which unfortunately, they probably are. I'd much rather someone made a good meal of them.

rosyposy

artieanna wrote: »

Its just not right. Rabbits are not like rats at all...

In what way?

artieanna

rosyposy wrote: »

In what way?

vermin...

It wasn't me!

Rabbits are vermin though.

flanum

is swords business park the area down near where hertz/woodies is?

artieanna

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Rabbits are vermin though.

They are not like rats though...You'd eat a rabbit not a rat right;)

It wasn't me!

Hey, if I were hungry enough...

Thing is though, a rat isn't like a fox isn't like a rabbit isn't like a magpie, but they're all vermin species and need to be controlled, regardless of how cute and fluffy they are, and they're all beautiful in their own way, but that's immaterial of whether they need controlling.

Wishbone Ash

OP - are you sure your friend was not mistaking hares for rabbits? There are many hares in the Swords/Dublin Airport area.

boneless

As far as I can ascertain, the use of poisons to control rabbits is illegal unless it is a toxin which "dies" with the host. This is to stop the toxin getting into the food chain.

Wishbone... hares are considered game and may only be taken in season and never with poison as far as I know. Any body here from the NPWS to confirm this?

Wishbone Ash

boneless wrote: »

Wishbone... hares are considered game and may only be taken in season and never with poison as far as I know. Any body here from the NPWS to confirm this?

Thanks. I have no interest or knowledge of what is game or not but merely pointing out that it is usually hares and not rabbits that I see in this area.

It wasn't me!

Hares have a season, can only be shot with a shotgun or caught with dogs and cannot be poisoned or lamped.

Just to note, there are plenty of rabbits around Dublin airport as well as hares.

Poisons are only illegal on meat baits, non-meat baits may be used. The idea is to prevent raptors being inadvertently killed by poisoned meats. From reading the recent vermin derogation, I can't recall whether specific traits like that are mandated in the poison.

artieanna

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Hey, if I were hungry enough...

Thing is though, a rat isn't like a fox isn't like a rabbit isn't like a magpie, but they're all vermin species and need to be controlled, regardless of how cute and fluffy they are, and they're all beautiful in their own way, but that's immaterial of whether they need controlling.

Well Answered I must say, I'll rest now;)

Mr. Presentable

highdef wrote: »

I have a friend who works in Swords Business Park who regularly sees rabbits around the area of the offices. They do no harm. Just hop around as rabbits tend to do. However today, there were people hunting them down with a dog and they were also laying poison to kill them. Is this even legal? I can't see it being legal. Seeing as foxes can (still) legally be killed and coursing is still legal, it's probably not illegal. Just wondered if anyone had any views on this? I think it's being very cruel and unnecessary

It's the old cute vs ugly thing. People like ladybirds but wouldn't let a black beetle run up their arm. They're all just animals. For me, none should be culled and the natural order of things would keep the status quo.

It wasn't me!

If the natural order of things maintained the healthiest populations of the healthiest animals, I'd be all for it, but nature's methods of population control are disease and starvation, which does not lead to pretty wildlife situations, so I prefer the modern, human-enforced method.

meathstevie

Another hunter here, so forgive my bias. As for high density rabbit populations a few basic facts apply :
- damage to crops and vegetation can be very significant ( in an industrial
estate setting the cost of landscaping would be considered )
- mixomatosis will get them in the end, it's not a matter of if it's a matter of
when
So my arguyment is why not use a good lurcher or an air rifle/small caliber rimfire rifle to control the population ( which is not the same as wiping them out ) before they die of mixi which is a lot more cruel on a rabbit than any dog or bullet. And no, mixi is not a natural regulator. It was developped and introduced in the wild in Australia to deal with rabbit infestation.

As for hares : open season between 01/09 and 28/02. The only approved methods of hunting are dog and shotgun during daylight hours.

cheridere

highdef wrote: »

I have a friend who works in Swords Business Park who regularly sees rabbits around the area of the offices. They do no harm. Just hop around as rabbits tend to do. However today, there were people hunting them down with a dog and they were also laying poison to kill them. Is this even legal? I can't see it being legal. Seeing as foxes can (still) legally be killed and coursing is still legal, it's probably not illegal. Just wondered if anyone had any views on this? I think it's being very cruel and unnecessary

Sounds like an exaggertion to me, have you got all the facts?
As for hunting them with a dog- pure nonsense (unless its a greyhound, and thats illegal)
And poisong rabbits in an industrial park is pretty far fetched also.

The real reason for the laying of poison is probably RATS

Rabbit stew FTW by the way

It wasn't me!

cheridere wrote: »

As for hunting them with a dog- pure nonsense (unless its a greyhound, and thats illegal)

Nonsense how? also, citation on the illegality of hunting with a greyhound would be appreciated, as it's the first I've heard of it.