Robben Island's rabbits to be used to feed South Africa's poor

The rabbits which have overrun the Robben Island former jail and tourist attraction are to be used to feed South Africa's poor, the site's manager says. Nelson Mandela was held prisoner on the island off Cape Town for most of the 27 years he was in jail and it is now a museum and World Heritage Site.

But its vegetation has been ravaged by tens of thousands of wild rabbits. A rabbit cull began last month and some 2,000 of them have been buried on the island so far.

But island acting chief executive Jatti Bredekamp says that will now change. He said rabbits certified safe to eat would be "dressed and packaged for donation to charity."



The rabbit meat is to be distributed among charities in Cape Town. Sarah Scarth, a spokeswoman for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, SPCA, said the group's only concern was that the culling was carried out in a humane way.

"We have no problem with the animals being used for human consumption. If they can benefit the poor then that is something we are not against," she said. Rabbits are commonly eaten in European countries but consuming the all-white meat would be new for many South Africans.

The island is said to have been populated by up to 25,000 rabbits and 500 deer, as well as feral cats. The deer and cats are also being culled.