Australia's Rabbit Invasion Traced To Importation Of 24 Animals in 1859

"Population then exploded in what researchers say was ‘the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded’".

"The Australia-wide rabbit invasion resulted from a single introduction of just 24 animals in 1859, new research has confirmed.

Using historical and genetic data, scientists have pinpointed the origins of what they call “the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded”.

New research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has confirmed what historians have long suspected: that the country’s bunny infestation originated from Barwon Park, the estate of Thomas Austin, near Geelong in Victoria."

Donna Lu reports for the Guardian August 22, 2022.