We start season two burrowing into the story of rabbits and other pests. What started with plenty of (h)optimism has led to generations of damage to our environment and economy. In this episode we look at: The introduction of exotic animals to Aotearoa by Māori, and early European explorers like Captain Cook. The ideology of many colonists that Aotearoa needed to be “improved” through the introduction of exotic animals. How rabbits were first introduced to Aotearoa and why they spread so rapidly The impact they had on the land, and farmers. The lives of “rabbiters” who trapped and poisoned rabbits for a living in the 19th century. The fierce debate over the introduction of rabbit predators such as ferrets, stoats and weasels. The introduction of new rabbit control methods such as 1080 and calicivirus. The current threat of rabbits to Aotearoa. For more on this subject: Unconquerable enemy or bountiful resource? A new perspective on the rabbit in Central Otago by Rachael Egerton. https://www.environmentalhistory-au-nz.org/2014/03/unconquerable-enemy-or-bountiful-resource-a-new-perspective-on-the-rabbit-in-central-otago/ Exotic Intruders by Joan Druett. Rabbits: It’s as bad as it’s ever been by Melanie Reid. Newsroom. https://www.newsroom.co.nz/rabbits-its-as-bad-as-its-ever-been WELLS, P. K. (2006). “An Enemy of the Rabbit”: The Social Context of Acclimatisation of an Immigrant Killer. Environment and History, 12(3), 297–324. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20723581 Rabbits - Te Ara. https://teara.govt.nz/en/rabbits Funded by the Ministry of Education.

Take a voyage through the history of New Zealand with The Aotearoa History Show from RNZ - a part-animated web-series that travels all the way through from 100 million years ago to the modern day, capturing the highlights of our nation’s story. Fourteen short, sharp episodes dissect the what, when, how, and (most importantly) why of our past. Co-presented by RNZ's Maori Issues Correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan and William Ray from the smash hit Black Sheep podcast, it’s an accessible and entertaining tale perfect for history newbies and history buffs alike. [YouTube, 2019] The story of New Zealand and its people from its geological origins to modern day, hosted by William Ray, Māni Dunlop and Leigh-Marama McLachlan, with animation by Chris Maguren. [Radio New Zealand, 2019-2022]