rabbits

Albacete offers up to 500,000 euros for hunting rabbits. The problem is what to do with them afterwards.

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Spain, rabbit landtoday he pays to get them off his back. When the Phoenicians set foot on our coasts, they saw ears and burrows before cities and that is how they named the peninsula, i‑spn‑yaa curious place name that ended up as Hispania. Or so the theory goes, one of many. Now Albacete has set up a subsidy system so that hunting societies contain an overpopulation that destroy their crops. The real problem is not only about how many are killed, but what is done with them afterwards and why the model produces plagues again and again. A plague that concentrates. The province of Albacete is experiencing a paradox that is actually repeated throughout half the country. On the one hand, the wild rabbit is listed as an endangered species in many habitats; on the other, it is a plague on agricultural strips and on the margins of large infrastructures. In Castilla-La Mancha, hundreds of thousands of rabbits are estimated to be captured each year; only so far in 2026 are they talking about 603,000 copiesand 30% of them leave the fields of Albacete. The regional administration has been chaining “hunting emergency” resolutions for years. That is, we seek to find the key between a balance of fauna and environmental regulation. And, at least in La Mancha, Albacete, Cuenca and Toledo, they have not been able to find it. Because more than a homogeneous explosion we are talking about hot spots next to roads, railway lines, intensive irrigation and protected spaces where the rabbit finds shelter, food and the absence of predators. How the half million works. This is not the wild western. Let no one expect an envelope for each animal killed. The Albacete Provincial Council has announced a line of subsidies amounting to 500,000 euros aimed at local non-profit hunting societies. Of course, based in the province. Each entity can request up to 9,000 eurosonly once, for a specific project linked to wild rabbit damage control. The money is processed electronically, through the provincial electronic headquarters, between July 21 and August 10, 2026; The companies justify the actions until October 31. And this shock plan does not clash with other aid: the call makes it possible to make this aid compatible with other public lines, as long as they are aimed at the same purpose. Because? Because it fits with the four million euro regional plan for rabbit overpopulation. Is it necessary to kill? In the past, this “social hunting” received local and even private help from crop protectors. Now alternatives are being sought: the village clubs insist on fencing, hunting nurseries and management of water and food points for wildlife. That is, it should be financed around the infrastructure around the rabbit and the verb “kill” is the last option. And if there is only one alternative, killing will always be that savagery that no authority should authorize. The dominant model continues to be intensive hunting, with a shotgun, ferret and nets in extended periods thanks to the emergency declarations from some regions. In Aragon and Castilla-La Mancha, this shock works in the short term: in Aragon, between 2019 and 2021, a control plan eliminated 1.8 million rabbits in 125 municipalities. Despite the 18 measurementsIn Castilla-La Mancha, more than 46% of the territory is affected by this plague, “which translates into some 364 municipalities with direct damage.” Save them to kill them. WWF and other research teams have been pointing out for years that mass hunting reduces damage during the campaign, but the following year the effect fades and the population grows again. If there is shelter and food, there is overpopulation. And the problem comes from afar, from the dynamics of crops with larger and more homogeneous farm surfaces, with less mosaic of crops, fewer boundaries and less presence of natural predators. The ancient stone walls served as homes, but also as regional limiters. Now the rabbit runs free in no man’s land. Associations like PACMA they add also another nuance, remembering that the Generalitat of Catalonia authorized the release of more than 12,000 rabbits from hunting farms to repopulate hunting reserves in 2021, and that the same administration later declared the hunting emergency and the use of biocides such as aluminum phosphide. Inflate the population first and then resorting to massacres when the population overflows is, to say the least, counterproductive. What do you do with so much rabbit?. The great unknown is the same as always. The emergency resolutions and the regional shock plan already include the possibility of marketing the meat of captured rabbits, as long as they are immediately slaughtered and delivered to authorized wild game handling establishments with health guarantees. This is the responsible thing to do, not leave them stranded. own manchego plan document It contemplates the “useful and sustainable management” of these catches: human consumption, recovery of scavenger fauna, transfer to areas with a rabbit deficit and regulated marketing. What’s more, for the farmer or hunter to get paid it is not enough to kill, he must communicate the actions 24 hours in advance to the administration, comply with the conditions of the emergency resolution and then justify expenses on fences, piles and others. Foxes and eagles, off or out of coverage. Ecologists in Action denounced the Albacete Agriculture Delegation itself, which authorizes controls on predators such as the fox in the midst of a rabbit plague (and Spain needs them, just like the wolves). This, according to estimates, reinforces the ecological imbalance and leaves the farmer with fewer natural allies on the field. The rabbit right now is halfway between resource and waste, subsidy object and marketable piece. Kill them and leave them for the scavengers? It could be dangerous from an environmental point of view. And even more so if they eat animals with myxomatosis. Kill them and eat them? It depends on the market: the price of the piece has fallen in recent months. This is also a symptom that the agrarian structure has a … Read more

We had always believed that all rabbits on the Iberian Peninsula were the same type of rabbit. we believed wrong

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The humble rabbit that we find in any of our mountains has, historically, been the great protagonist and the fundamental pillar of the Iberian ecosystems. Jewels of our fauna such as the Iberian lynx or the imperial eagle depend on it, and until now we all thought that the councils of the peninsula belonged to a single species, the European rabbit. A new paradigm. However, science has just turned our taxonomic tree upside down, since a new and comprehensive study published in the magazine Biological Conservation and led by IESA-CSIC researchers has confirmed what genetics had been hinting at for some time: two different species of rabbits coexist on the Iberian Peninsula. A change. The debate is not entirely new, since previous work had already documented differences between rabbits from the east and north of the peninsula and those from the southwest, which also extend across northern Africa. Until today, these differences were resolved by dividing the rabbits in two subspecies: Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus and Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus. But now science has said that this is not the case, and it is accompanied by a large amount of evidence from different areas that go beyond DNA itself. Here researchers have synthesized definitive evidence in genetics, morphology, ecology, reproduction, parasitology and even the microbiome of these animals. And the conclusion is that the differences are so profound that the southwest Iberian lineage must be elevated to the category of an independent species, officially being called the Iberian rabbit. What remains For its part, the lineage from the east and north of the peninsula, and its populations introduced from the rest of the world, such as in Australia, will maintain the classic name of European rabbit. Because? The question we can ask ourselves in light of this study is: How is it possible that two animals so similar to the naked eye are different species? The answer lies in the ice, since the genetic differences between both lineages are estimated at about two million years. And during the Pleistocene ice ages, the original populations of rabbits were isolated in different “climate refuges” in southern Europe. One group was confined to the Ebro valley area, while the other survived in the vicinity of the Gulf of Cádiz. This geographic isolation sustained for millennia forced different evolutionary paths and today the evidence even points to incipient speciation, with studies reporting chromosomal incompatibilities when both lineages intersect in the areas where they currently coincide. Its consequences. This change in status is not a mere academic whim or a laboratory technicality, since it has consequences. By being recognized as a unique species, exclusive to the Iberian Peninsula (and part of North Africa), they completely change the rules of the game for conservation. For example, the areas where the threatened Iberian lynx lives coincide geographically, for the most part, with the distribution area of ​​this new species in decline. That is why saving the Iberian rabbit is, literally, saving the lynx. Images | David Atkins In Xataka | “We are fighting Satan”: the US war to save bees from the invasion of a murderous creature

Spain does not know if it has too many or too few rabbits. But this town of Toledo has declared war on them at their own risk and expense.

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In Villa de Don Fadrique, province of Toledo, the town hall you have just activated an extraordinary authorization to shoot down rabbits daily. In fact, it is inviting volunteers to reduce its population to a minimum. It is a total war against these rodents that are becoming a real headache for farmers across the country. And it is curious because, if we look at the data, the truth is that the European rabbit entered the red list of threatened species from the IUCN in 2019. Can you be endangered and an indiscriminate pest at the same time? And the answer is yes, of course yes. A few days ago, it was the Union of Farmers and Ranchers of Castilla la Mancha the one that warned that “the proliferation of rabbits is a problem that has been going on for ten years, they speak of a ‘pest’ that is threatening olive groves and pistachio and almond trees, and they demand that the populations of these animals be controlled.” It is not an anecdotal impression, in a sectoral report points out that rabbits account for 64% of agricultural insurance payments for wildlife damage and averages of tens of thousands of hectares damaged per year are cited. And yet, the decline of the rabbit at a general level it’s clear. And that not only impacts the “bug” itself: whether we like it or not, there is the base of the food chain of more than 30 species (from the Iberian lynx to the imperial eagle) and its disaster alters the functioning of the Mediterranean forest. He’s been altering it for decades. Because what is clear is that this is not something recent. The decline of the European rabbit is associated with myxomatosisfirst (mid-20th century); then continue with the rabbit hemorrhagic disease in the 80s; and is complicated by the arrival in 2012 of a new variant (RHDV2) that affects populations just when they were beginning to recover. To this we must add the changes in the landscape and the disappearance of boundaries, fallow lands and traditional shelters. However, when God closes a door he opens a window. And, despite the general decline, rabbits have known how to use the gaps in human infrastructure to create authentic breeding sites. The slopes and shoulders of the roads have become tremendously favorable habitats (and even in motion vectors) and areas with constant food (irrigation/crops) are natural attractors of these reduced populations. That is to say, the explanation is simple: the populations are smaller, but they have been rearranged in areas that cause more damage to farmers. And thus, the conflict is served. While conservationists and scientists ask to recover the rabbit in the mountains, farmers ask to expel it from its areas of influence. But the curious thing is that both sides are partly right and we do not have stories that allow us to understand what is happening. Something that is also happening with all the bugs on the mountain. Image | Sönke Biehl In Xataka | In 1940 Japan removed this island from the maps to keep its activities secret. Now your creatures are dying

Torrejón de Ardoz has a plan to control his geese, parrots, rabbits and pigeons. One of 150,000 euros

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With bird flu and the african swine fever grabbing headlines, the Torrejón de Ardoz City Council wants to protect itself against “possible health risks”. The City Council is looking for a company to help it “control” the populations of certain wild species that live in the municipality. Specifically, it has focused on four: parrots, Nile geesepigeons and rabbits, although the list can be expanded. It offers interested firms a three-year contract (extendable) with a budget of up to 150,000 euros. Its mission: quantify, control and capture. What has happened? That Torrejón de Ardoz (Community of Madrid) wants to control the wildlife that populates its fields and parks, especially parrots, Nile geese, rabbits and pigeons. “It is necessary to maintain the population and avoid possible risks to health, public safety, maintain environmental health and the ecosystem,” the Consistory states in your ad to attract companies interested in providing the service for three years. The deadline for submitting offers ended in November. Now the Contracting Platform reports that it is in the “evaluation” phase. The budget: a maximum of 150,000 eurosVAT included. But what exactly do you want to do? “Control and manage” the populations of certain species and anticipate possible “unhealth risks” or damage to ecosystems. Hence the focus is on three types of animals that stand out precisely for their ability to expand: “invasive exotic birds” (a category in which the City Council includes the Argentine parrot, Kramer parrot and Nile goose), pigeons and turtledoves and the European rabbit. “This includes any other wild animal that could cause a risk to health, safety and/or ecosystem,” they require from the Consistorywhich leaves pest control, disinfestation and deratization tasks outside the contract. The objective is for the company to carry out an annual “diagnosis” on the situation of these species and carry out health controls. If necessary, it will undertake sampling, analysis and veterinary tests to detect diseases. Just that? No. The documentation of the contest clarifies that, if circumstances demand it, the company will have to carry out work to control wildlife populations, which includes removing nests, controlling eggs, work with compressed air rifles and cages or capturing specimens. In the case of rabbits, the contract states that the company may control them with the help of ferrets and capillos, as long as it meets certain conditions. Captured healthy rabbits will be moved to preserves. When this is not possible, the contract contemplates euthanasia (in compliance with the animal welfare law), just as occurs with geese. One of the conditions placed on companies is that they have agreements with captive breeding and recovery centers. But… Is it so urgent? This is considered by the Madrid City Council, which recalls, for example, that parrots and Nile geese are “exotic species that can become invasive if control is not carried out” on the population. “Therefore, it is necessary to develop this service to reduce its distribution area, reduce the number of specimens or stop its spread,” prevents. About the rabbits, technicians remember that it is a wild species “capable of colonizing urban ecosystems” and that is already causing “damage” in green areas of the city, especially in groves, bushes, meadows and even in irrigation systems and land. “That is why it is necessary to control the population to prevent the increase and severity of damage. In addition, they can pose a risk to public safety and health,” duck. As for pigeons, the City Council recognizes that they are “adapted” to urban life, but their proliferation can cause annoyance and health problems. Images | Wikipedia 1 and 2 In Xataka | Torrejón de Ardoz thought it had found a golden opportunity by hosting the Madrid macro festivals. Now he’s canceling them.

These rabbits in a springboard are funny. And they are unleashing one of the biggest trusted crises in AI

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At some point it had to happen: a wave of people wondering, and the doubt extending virally, about when the images and videos produced by artificial intelligence too realistic so that we cannot distinguish them from reality will be. And above all, what crisis of trust in what we see will take that. And the video that has unleashed the crisis is the most harmless possible: a lot of rabbits jumping in an elastic bed. Unleashed rabbits. The video is Extremely simple (Just eight seconds): A group of rabbits captured with a security camera that points, during the night, to an elastic bed, have fun taking advantage of the darkness, jumping on it. Result: more than 180 million views, and that the video is obviously false, with a two -headed rabbit at the beginning and two rodents that merge into one towards the end (although a detailed analysis by an expert will make clear the many video problems). Network movement. The video moved online, and soon jumped to other social networks. Quickly his artifice was detected (and For examplein X he was soon marked by the community’s notes), but his adorable images had more power than their failures. On the one hand, you have to have your eye trained to detect your problems, on the other the poor image quality that adds likelihood and the natural of the movements of rabbits do the rest. And above all, there is, as a huge question, his absolute lack of objective: why would someone want to deceive you with this? And that is the key. Animals in springboard. Of course, this has generated a Imitors rale (as This beareven more realistic than rabbits, although with an extra problem: the ball seems to be attached to the canvas) that have only underlined the original drama: we laughed at our elders because Ia was cheating on them, but this already affects everyone. There are those who are responding to the rabbits of the elastic bed and their power to make us doubt everything With songs (“Sometimes your love feels as real as an unknown rabbit”) or with the finding of “I am old“It is true, the video has a lot in favor to deceive us (the fixed fund makes the AI do not have to generate precisely what the IAS usually fail), but fear … is real. The crisis of trust exists. According to AI is sophisticated, we are developing, as a psychological protection, a “crisis of trust” that is already studying with figures in hand. The advice on how to combat misinformation They happen And there are those who affirm that trust is, in fact, The authentic value of the economy of artificial intelligence, above other capacities. It is no longer that AI is ending our confidence in those who have to tell the truth, Like journalistsbut it is making us doubt our perceptions. According to the daily use of AI shoots, also Our distrust does. It is paradoxical that the apparent inconsequence of a video of animals filmed with a night camera is the first notice. But somewhere you have to start. In Xataka | We have a philosophical problem with the generative AI: they are giving us the reason in everything we ask them

There are people eating carrots like rabbits because they think that they will get morenos. There is only a small problem

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Summer arrives and with it, the trick of tricks to get that golden tone that leaves the mark of a good vacation. Between sunscreens, self -lane and calculated sun exposure, there is a advice that resurfaces every year as if it were a novelty, although it has been circling in beach conversations decades, Fashion magazines and now, Viral Videos of Tiktok: “Eat carrots and you will get brunette.” But is there anything true in all this? A harmless snack? Eating carrots on the beach is not something so crazy, since they are fresh and nutritious. However, the old belief that, if you feed like a rabbit, you will end with golden skin as if you had been in Menorca, every summer returns. The point is that the color differs much from what one can imagine. A rather orange tan. What is really happening is a phenomenon known as Carotenodermia. “Yes, carrots can change the color of the skin,” has affirmed for glamor Dermatologist Dr. Christian Merkel. But, he has warned: “The tone tends more to orange than to the classic brown of the solar tan.” This effect is due to beta-carotene, a pigment present in carrots, pumpkins, mangoes and other warm fruits and vegetables. When consumed in large quantities, this accumulates in the skin, especially in areas such as palms of the hands, soles of the feet, elbows or nose, causing a change of color in the skin. A false brown. And not even. Dermatologist Silvija Gottesman, Interviewed by MedPage Todayhe clarified: “It is not a true tan, since unlike the tone generated by melanin after sun exposure, what is achieved with carrot is a superficial coloration, without activation of melanocytes.” So, more than a golden tan, it is a temporary orange dye. There is a stop. Like almost everything in nutrition, the dose matters. Sarah Carolides, nutritionist of the Lanserhof Clinic, He explained for Women’s Health Mag That excessive consumption of beta -carotene can dye the tpiel, even without realizing it. He estimates that it is enough with about 12 raw medium carrots per day, or less than 300ml of daily juice for approximately one month, to begin to notice visible changes in skin color. In a documented clinical case by the University Clinical Hospital of Zaragoza, a One year girl who developed a notable yellowish coloration after consuming carrot puree daily. The pigmentation disappeared after removing the food from the diet for two months. Can you entail a danger? In general, no. Carotenodermia due to food is not harmful and is usually reversed when modifying the diet. However, attention must be paid because it can be confused with diseases such as jaundice. In addition, in people with metabolic disorders or diseases such as hypothyroidism, diabetes or anorexia nervosa, this type of pigmentation could indicate more serious imbalances. As has pointed out The doctor of Lucas Laguna for Consalud, the accumulation of carotenes is not only because of the diet, but for alterations in his metabolism and elimination. The end point. Eating carrots have benefits. They are healthy, antioxidants, rich in vitamin A and can give a slight warm tone to the skin. But no, you’re not going to tan eating as Bunny Bugs. The effect is more orange than gold, more visible in the hands than in the face, and more anecdotal than aesthetic. Image | Freepik and Pxhere Xataka | There is only something more abundant than tourists on Spanish beaches: Asian algae are becoming a huge problem

In 1930, Japan sent rabbits to an island to test chemical weapons. A century later something is killing the creatures

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In the quiet region of the Seto Inland Sea, three km off the coast of the Japanese city of Takehara, in Hiroshima prefecture, lies Ōkunoshimabetter known as Usagi Jima or Rabbit Island. Today, the island is famous for being home to hundreds of wild rabbits that roam freely fed by tourists and living without predators. However, behind this idyllic image hides a dark past. In World War II the island was a secret center for the production of chemical weapons by the Imperial Japanese Army. The rabbits are “children” of that experiment, and now they are dying. A secret from the past. During the 1930s and 1940s, Ōkunoshima was the epicenter of the manufacture of so-called mustard gasphosgene and other chemicals used by Japan against Chinese soldiers and civilians. Estimates suggest that These toxic agents caused around 80,000 deathsand to test the effects that those experiments had a small rabbit fauna was launched onto the island which was increasing in number. To give us an idea, the strategic importance of the island was such that was removed from Japanese maps to keep their activities secret. Since then, there has been speculation that the number of current rabbits are direct descendants of those used in the poison gas testing experiments at the island’s military laboratory. According to Professor Ellis Kraussfrom the University of California, San Diego, most of the test rabbits were slaughtered by American forces after the Japanese surrender in 1945, but those that escaped their fate transformed the place. Rabbits and more rabbits. Therefore, and given that it seems unlikely that there are surviving creatures that inhabited the place during the military era, the question has always been to discern which are direct descendants and which are not, in which case, where the hell did they come from? One of the most accepted theories suggests that, in 1971, a group of students released about eight extra rabbits on the island. The absence of predators, the prohibition of hunting and the inability to keep pets such as cats or dogs have allowed the population to grow uncontrollably until it reaches approximately 1,000 individuals today. The impact of tourism. Although rabbits have made Ōkunoshima a very popular and tourist destinationthe increase in visitors has generated serious environmental and animal welfare problems. As? The practice of feeding rabbits inappropriate foods, such as cabbage, has led to digestive problems and nutritional deficiencies, reducing their life expectancy to just two yearsmuch less than in natural conditions. Besides, feeding dynamics are inconsistent: On sunny days and holidays, tourists provide large quantities of food, while on rainy days or out of season the animals are left without supplies, facing a shortage of resources, since the island’s vegetation has been devastated by overpopulation. And if all this were not enough, a mystery surrounds the island these days. They are dying without explanation. According to the Japanese authorities, More than 70 rabbits have died in circumstances not yet clarified. Last Thursday, Police arrested a man identified as Riku Hotta25, on suspicion of having kicked at least one rabbit on the island. The animal reportedly died shortly after the incident, prompting authorities to investigate whether there is a connection between Hotta and the discovery of those 77 carcasses. between November 26 and January 12. The bodies of the 77 rabbits were apparently found with unnatural injuries, such as broken bones, which has further sparked concern among authorities and tourists. Possible causes of death. As we said, despite the arrest, authorities have not yet determined a conclusive cause for the death of the creatures. However, Japan’s Ministry of Environment has indicated that Possible reasons could include: Infectious diseases, which could have spread due to the high population density and irregular diet provided by tourists. Adverse weather conditions, especially the cold of winter, could be affecting the rabbits, whose food depends largely on occasional visitors. Human factors, such as acts of cruelty or negligence, since there have been cases of visitors not following animal care guidelines. In this regard, and given that the suspect (Hotta) is not a resident of the island, but of Otsu, in Shiga prefecture, located halfway across the country, it is being investigated whether he made sporadic visits to carry out said attacks. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has stressed that is working together with veterinarians and animal welfare organizations to identify the causes of these deaths, and does so while reinforcing surveillance and monitoring of the island to prevent future incidents. Future measures. There is no doubt that in a society like Japan, where pets occupy a prominent place, the incident has prompted calls to strengthen the island’s security and improve regulations to protect rabbits from possible aggressors. Options are being studied such as the installation of surveillance cameras, access restrictions and awareness campaigns to guarantee the well-being of the animals and the sustainability of the island as a tourist destination. The paradox of an island with a dark past. Rabbit Island represents a fascinating example of how a place’s military past can be transformed into a tourist attraction. Furthermore, it also highlights the challenges of human intervention (once again) in ecosystems. Image | Chih-Wei In Xataka | Japan sent the wrong creature to eradicate snakes from an island. The disaster was so big that it took half a century to solve it In Xataka | In 1940, a creature snuck onto an island in the United States and devoured everything. Today two of the species most feared by humans coexist alone

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