Rabbits in Knox have been fed poisoned carrots and had their warrens blown up to control their numbers

EXTREME measures are being used to control wild rabbits in Melbourne’s outer east, including poison carrots and blowing up warrens.

European rabbit, images from THINKSTOCK for story on rabbit culls, pest control

RABBITS in Knox have been fed poisoned carrots and had their warrens blown up to control their numbers as part of a conservation cull.

The rabbit culls have coincided with fox culls as the area is under siege from these pests.

Both Knox Council and Melbourne Water have run programs to reduce growing rabbit numbers, mainly in Boronia and Rowville.

RELATED:Foxes will be humanely culled in parts of Rowville

Knox Council’s engineering and infrastructure services director Ian Bell said they used baited carrots in the cull at Heany Park, Rowville and Dandenong Creek, Boronia, which started in March and finished last week.

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Dr Bell said the baited carrots complied with strict standards set by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Melbourne Water has conducted a similar program in Tirhatuan Wetlands, Rowville, using baiting, as well as fumigating and destroying warrens.

The warrens were removed with small low level explosives causing them to collapse in on themselves.

The program started in mid-April and was completed recently.

Greg Bain, from Melbourne Water, said rabbits were an introduced pest species and population control was needed to protect vulnerable, endangered native animals and plants.

He said the program followed strict safety guidelines.

Fox culls were recently conducted in Wantirna South and Rowville, with residents pleading with council to continue keeping numbers down.