TRAPPING & MARKING
We are researching rabbits in their natural environment and this does not involve causing harm to any animals at any stage of our research. By furthering understanding of rabbit behaviour, our work may inform welfare and conservation practices for wild and domestic rabbits. All our work has been approved by the University of Exeter ethics committee (Application ID - 5171618). If you have any concerns or questions, please get in touch through our contact page.
|
To monitor individual rabbits we need to catch and mark them for identification and collect data on body measurements.
We are using humane traps baited with carrot and apple to attract rabbits. These are checked regularly to ensure animals do not remain in the traps for long periods of time. When we are not checking the traps they are locked open. This allows rabbits to get used to the traps being in their environment but does not catch any animals.
Once trapped, we will collect body size data and individually mark rabbits. This involves fitting a coloured ear tag onto each rabbit and marking them with hair dye. These do not harm the animals and are commonly used techniques in the study of wild animals.
|
|
