Dead Rabbit In The Garden

[spudqueen]

Our garden backs onto a field and we quite often get wild rabbits coming in to our garden from the field. Last night I noticed one that didn't seem very well as it wasn't moving much, though it did eventually hop off into next doors garden. Today there is a dead rabbit in our garden. What do I do with it? Our black bin for general waste isn't due to be collected until a week on Monday, so if I put it in there it will be very smelly by then. I do wish it had stayed in next doors garden and died there, but as it didn't I'm now stuck with the problem.

[Ken4155]

Throw it in next door's garden and let them deal with it:-)

[douglas9401]

Lob it over into the field and nature will do the rest.

[Ken4155]

The chances are that it died in their garden, anyway, and they've thrown it in yours.

[spudqueen]

I wish it had Ken - but next door are away this weekend. And I'd feel too guilty lobbing it into theirs.

[ummmm]

I'd lob it in the field.

Well I wouldn't....I'd get someone else to do it...

[Maydup]

We have the same problem with wild rabbits. When they die in our garden we pick them up on a spade and deposit them in the hedgerow or long grass field verge. As Douglas says, they won't be there for long, nature will take its course.

[Baldric]

Use a Spade, chuck it in the field, it'll be gone tomorrow!

[Retrochic]

chuck it back over into the field, carrion crows and maggots will do the rest.

[janbee]

Get a nice bit of puff pastry and hey presto, tonight's supper all sorted !

[Khandro]

Dig a hole and bury it !

[spudqueen]

Thanks all. I think I'll take ummmms advice and get someone else (twenty odd year old son springs to mind) to lob it in the field.

[Clanad]

Look… if you observed the rabbit to the point you say it didn't seem very well and wasn't moving much, the last thing you want to do is "lob it into the neighbors garden" (not very neighborly, is it?) or even into a close-by field since the reason why it wasn't looking well could be that it was infected with tularemia… which can be spread to other animals as well as humans… see here:

Many routes of human exposure to the tularemia bacteria are known to exist. The common routes include inoculation of the skin or mucous membranes with blood or tissue while handling infected animals, the bite of an infected tick, contact with fluids from infected deer flies or ticks, or handling or eating insufficiently cooked rabbit meat. Less common means of spread are drinking contaminated water, inhaling dust from contaminated soil or handling contaminated pelts or paws of animals…(Source: Illinois Department of Public Health).

It's not to be taken lightly since the infection of humans can cause serious consequences.

The most sensible disposal (recognizing the possible differences between the U.K. and here in the U.S.) is to place it in a double garbage bag using both rubber gloves and a shovel) and take it to the dead animal disposal section of your public refuse service. They have a pit lined with lime or other chemical especially for disposal of dead animals. I realize it's a bit of an effort, but the responsibility is, unfortunately, yours...

[mallyh]

when we found a dead fox we rang the council and they sent someone round to dispose of it .

[Baldric]

Doesn't seem too problematic in the UK

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tularemia#Outbreaks

[Retrochic]

This is the UK -we do not have 'animal disposal units' The rabbit most likely had Myxomatosis virus usually contracted through a flea bite. Humans cannot catch this virus by touching the dead animal, they have to be bitten by an infected flea.

[Baldric]

Just for info that Copy and Paste ^^ from Clanad seems to originate from the Illilois Dept. of Public Health

[Clanad]

Except, baldric, each one of the stats quoted by the article describes an "outbreak". Tularemia is fairly common in wild rabbits (not hares for some reason) and an "outbreak" could occur at any time… "In the United States, approximately 200 human cases are reported each year with reports from every state except Hawaii." The implication is that Rabbit Fever is more than common among rabbits themselves.

I've hunted wild Cottontails here in the U.S. since a child. My Dad taught me to watch for signs of the disease early on… most commonly in loss of hair (no pun intended) over several spots on the critter, sluggishness and, if cleaned out the liver will be mottled bright red and white as opposed to… well.. being liver colored.
A neighbors dog died and afterwards was pronounced as having tularemia… it's not to be messed with!

[Retrochic]

Clanad -you do realise that the offending rabbit died in the UK not USA?

[Clanad]

I suppose I should take Retro's sage advice at face value, but where in the world then, does one dispose of larger animals like horses and cows in the U.K.

I find it hard to believe that animal disposal units aren't managed by your waste management companies… but one never knows, does one?

[Mamyalynne]

Councils do have the facilities to dispose of dead animals, if not on site then nearby.