Murder, Abandoned Babies, Attacks on the Elderly - These were all features of rabbit life described in "The Doomsday Book - Can The World Survive" by sociologist Gordon Rattray Taylor. (1970)
Disturbed at the rapid growth in the world's population, Taylor set out to determine the effects of population increases, and because he could not use humans in his experiment he chose rabbits.
He built a rabbit paradise with everything a rabbit's heart could desire including an abundant food supply, and populated it with a small number of rabbits. He closely observed their behaviour and noted that all was peace and tranquility.
Rabbits behaved as rabbits do and numbers increased. Taylor refrained from culling and allowed numbers to grow to the point where severe overcrowding was obvious.
To understand what transpired, readers need to know the basics of rabbit breeding.
1. Females determine when they will accept a male.
2. Females become receptive immediately after giving birth.
3. Males that attempt mating with an unreceptive female do so at their peril. She will savagely attack him, often causing severe injury.
When the crowding became severe, this is what Taylor observed:
1. Females abandoned their newborns.
2. Frustrated males fought one another to the death.
3. Juvenile males formed gangs whose main activity was beating up elderly rabbits.
4. Gang wars became the order of the day.
5. Males took up homosexual behavior.
At this point culling took place and numbers were reduced to a comfortable level, and peace reigned once more.
Finally, with no culling the numbers grew and chaos resulted once more.
In passing I add that he also analyzed suicide figures across the USA and found a direct correlation between population density and suicide.
Interesting lessons perhaps?
Walter
Disturbed at the rapid growth in the world's population, Taylor set out to determine the effects of population increases, and because he could not use humans in his experiment he chose rabbits.
He built a rabbit paradise with everything a rabbit's heart could desire including an abundant food supply, and populated it with a small number of rabbits. He closely observed their behaviour and noted that all was peace and tranquility.
Rabbits behaved as rabbits do and numbers increased. Taylor refrained from culling and allowed numbers to grow to the point where severe overcrowding was obvious.
To understand what transpired, readers need to know the basics of rabbit breeding.
1. Females determine when they will accept a male.
2. Females become receptive immediately after giving birth.
3. Males that attempt mating with an unreceptive female do so at their peril. She will savagely attack him, often causing severe injury.
When the crowding became severe, this is what Taylor observed:
1. Females abandoned their newborns.
2. Frustrated males fought one another to the death.
3. Juvenile males formed gangs whose main activity was beating up elderly rabbits.
4. Gang wars became the order of the day.
5. Males took up homosexual behavior.
At this point culling took place and numbers were reduced to a comfortable level, and peace reigned once more.
Finally, with no culling the numbers grew and chaos resulted once more.
In passing I add that he also analyzed suicide figures across the USA and found a direct correlation between population density and suicide.
Interesting lessons perhaps?
Walter
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