RABBITS
The Normans introduced rabbits to Britain in the 12th century, with the first rabbits going to the islands around the coast. This was to keep them contained and protected, and luckily Lundy received 100 rabbits. The tenant at the time was allowed to take 50 rabbits a year for fur and meat. It is believed that Lundy became a royal warren with the introduction of the black rabbit, whose fur was used solely for gowns for the king. In the wild, on the mainland black rabbits stand out and are readily taken by predators such as foxes, stoats and buzzards, whereas on Lundy with the absence of any predators, apart from the odd thuggish great black-backed gull, the black rabbits thrived.
When I arrived on Lundy in 2012 there were lots of rabbits, including a few black ones, but their numbers were declining. A mixture of myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease has decimated the rabbit population and so where the grass was nibbled low to the ground allowing flowers like thrift to mature, now there are long grasses dominating the Sidelands. When I left the island in 2020, I had not seen a rabbit in over a year. If their numbers do increase, the best time to spot rabbits is early morning or dusk, and the best places to see them is on any of the Sidelands. I hope they will bounce back, because as well as cropping the grass, they are great to watch, and they also taste nice.
