Dead Rabbits Pile Up in St. Louis

I live near St Louis.. The area was Villanova that the dead ones were found. No definitive word and they too are investigating food source contamination.
Here.. we are overrun with rabbits. I have to hold my dogs back from them. Eating everything in sight in gardens. I also found a bird in trhe back yard last week with Avian Pox.. I know what it is as I used to mess around with breeding birds. It was odd to see it staggering around my back yard that sick. My youngest comes in and said there is a funny bird that isnt afraid of her.. I freak out and go see whats up. Poor thing.. sick as heck, beak occluded and blind. I euthanized it.

Im with ATA.. Id bet money its chemical. People so concerned with their darned lawns during a drought they poison everything around them.

reply to post by Advantage


Thanks for the update! I have been checking on this daily and haven't seen any more info yet. I am not sure how long it takes to examine these rabbits.

The lawn chemical idea is probably pretty valid. I know a lot of people around my area have been trying to keep their lawns alive, though I don't know of any dead rabbits.

wonder if this could be an outbreak of tuleremia? My nonsmart phone isnt gonna be a help w links will try and edit some in later


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by ElOsoDurmiendo


Finally an update on this, now that this thread is dead and buried. You were correct, ElOsoDurmiendo. It was tularemia that killed the rabbits. Rabbit fever.

Video at link
Fox 2 St. Louis

A quote from the article link:

The Missouri Department of Conservation was not willing to fully declare that to be the cause. A spokesman points out that no samples were ever tested, therefore there is no specific proof. They also checked with federal officials who told them there have been no outbreaks of the disease in our region. “No samples were ever tested, therefore there is no specific proof,” Joe Jerek said in an email. T”hey also checked with federal officials who told them there have been no outbreaks of the disease in our region.”

I wonder why no samples were collected nor any necropsy performed on any of the rabbits. Strange.