It has been used in some countries as a form of rabbit population control, but not in the UK. Myxomatosis first reached the UK in the 1950s and nearly wiped out the wild rabbit population. The acute form can kill a rabbit within 10 days of the first symptoms. It most noticeably affects the eyes, nose and genitals: causing swelling, redness, discharge, lethargy, problems breathing and a loss of appetite. ![]() Myxomatosis is a severe disease that's prevalent among wild rabbits. If you have seen rabbits with puffy, swollen eyes when driving or walking in the countryside, there's a chance it was infected with myxomatosis. At one Christmas feast in the mid 1200s held by Henry III, 500 hares and 200 rabbits were eaten. Rabbits were domesticated for meat in the early middle ages and were kept in extensive walled enclosures called warrens. They were initially spread throughout Europe from the Iberian Peninsular by the Romans, although they appear not to have reached Britain until 700 years after the Romans left. It’s thought they arrived not long after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Rabbits are not native animals, but they have been here for more than 1,000 years. The vast majority (75 per cent) perish in their first three months of life. Few rabbits live beyond their second year. The later in the spring a rabbit is born, the less likely it is to be killed by a hard frost. ![]() Baby rabbits are called kittens or kits, and are born with closed eyes, no fur and unable to regulate their own body temperature.
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