[1] They are found in most areas of New Zealand,[2] and are considered to be one of the worst ecological and agricultural pests in the country.
Rabbits were introduced by Captain Cook in 1777 in an island in the Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui.
[3][4] In May 2018 a new strain of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus was discovered in the South Island and is named RHDV2.
Alongside burrowing holes, the rabbits have caused the removal of vegetation cover, such as tussocks, grasses and shrubs.
[1] Alongside burrowing holes which can make farmland useless, the rabbits cause the removal of vegetation cover, such as tussocks, grasses and shrubs.