Rabbit pest in front of the door: Hattingen on alert!

Rabbit pest in front of the door: Hattingen on alert!

Hattingen/Sprockhövel/EN circuit. alarm level red for the animals in the Ennepe-Ruhr district! The dreaded rabbit plague - also known as myxomatosis - has reached Bochum and threatens to spread further. What does that mean for the animal world in the region? The situation is serious, because the virus spreads rapidly from the west to the east and could soon also strike in the EN district!

"We are observing the developments closely," explains Wilhelm Deitermann, spokesman for the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV). Although there are no confirmed cases in the Ennepe-Ruhr district, the first infected animals have already been reported in Bochum. There are already alarming information in the neighboring town of Mettmann. The hunters are called to be attentive and to report sick or deceased animals immediately in order to be able to act quickly.

urgent call to vigilance!

The rabbit plague is harmless to humans, but for the domestic wild rabbits and increasingly also a fatal threat to brown hare. "If private individuals find a very sick or died brown hare, they should inform the authorized to hunting immediately," continued Deitermann. The hunters are ready to redeem sick animals and bring the deceased to the examination.

The virus has its origin in the Wesel district and is now spreading in North Rhine-Westphalia. "In the past few weeks, we have observed a worrying increase in cases in field hares that we have never seen in this dimension," warns the NRW State Hunting Association. The location is tense and the population should remain vigilant to protect the wildlife!