November 1, 2010
Barry Jones
County Times
GASSING as a final solution to deal with the plague of rabbits at Welshpool’s Maesydre Recreation Ground has been shelved by the Town Council after “uproar” from animal lovers in the town.
Instead open season could be declared with local ferret owners given the chance to see what they can do to cut down the bunny population explosion causing hazards for sports clubs.
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation will also be asked to visit and draw up a management plan; Powys County Council will be asked to deal with rabbits on land neighbouring Maesydre, and garlic flavoured pellets are be be laid to deter rabbits from the Waterloo Rovers pitch, in other moves.
Cllr Phil Pritchard said: “There are at least three families in Oldford who keep ferrets and go out ferreting every Saturday and Sunday but they don’t go down to our fields because they have been turned away in the past.
“The sheer volume of rabbits at Maesydre is the problem and I think we should welcome families in Welshpool with ferrets to come an have a go.”
Town clerk Robert Robinson said something would have to be done as there had already been two sporting injuries as a direct result of the rabbit burrows and there could be insurance repercussions. He said a professional ferret company had been brought in 12 months ago and other measures over the past two years had also proved ineffective in stopping the breeding bunnies.
“Fencing has been suggested but that could cost Ł15,000 to Ł20,000 and the rabbits could still get in through the gates.
But Cllr Pritchard said the council should not totally rule out gassing in the long-term if other avenues fail. Cllr Roger Brown said: “This is a national problem and some farmers have introduced myxomatosis to deal with it and I would think gassing is a much more humane way of dealing with it than slowly killing them by disease.”
But Cllr Malcolm Douglass said: “Gassing doesn’t discriminate with the other animals who use the rabbit burrows and who will be affected as well.”
Cllr Ann Holloway said suggestions of gassing the rabbits had caused “uproar in the town” and that people were “incensed”.
Cllr John Corfield said: “I have had many people coming up to me saying they are upset but there is an ongoing problem which we have to take control of. If a more humane solution can be found then I am sure the town will be satisfied.”
Cllr John Morgan said some solutions could also create hazards of their own but he had spoken to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and they are willing to visit and draw up a management plan.
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