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Environment: Cape Town's Robben Island overrun by rabbits

Robben Island in Table Bay 12 km north of Cape Town, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison during apartheid, is overrun by rabbits. The situation has become so serious that marksmen have now been brought in to eliminate the animals, the New York Times reports.

The problem first came to public notice late 2008 and the island, a World Heritage site and a major tourist attraction, was subsequently closed to visitors and thousands of rabbits were captured and killed. However the population has continued to increase, burrowing under historic buildings and destroying the island’s habitat.

In October 2009 the island’s management decided to take more drastic measures, engaging the services of two hunters to perform night patrols. The marksmen have so far killed 5,300 rabbits, along with 78 deer and 38 feral cats, while there are an estimated 8,000 rabbits still to go.

The arrival of the marksmen has not been without protest; some feel it is wrong to turn what is one of the great symbols of the anti-apartheid struggle into a killing field. However, most recognise that the capacity of the island is finite and that something had to be done.

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