Spanish Farm Devastated... The Culprits Are 'Hungry Tokkideul'

Hungry Rabbit Hordes Attack Farms Across Spain
Farmers Suffer Double Hardship from Drought, Wildfires, and Rabbits

In Spain, starving rabbits have been repeatedly raiding farms due to severe drought, deepening the worries of local farmers.

On the 24th (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported that farmers in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, who are experiencing a severe drought, are struggling with rabbits that are devouring their crops.

Local farmers, already struggling with drought and wildfires, are now suffering crop damage caused by the rapidly increasing rabbit population during the COVID-19 period. The rabbits raiding the farms are reported to be eating young wheat, barley, and the bark of fruit trees such as grapevines.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Aleix Pujol, a farmer in Catalonia, said, "During the pandemic, no one was able to hunt rabbits for two years, and the rabbits even developed immunity to myxomatosis (a virus that affects rabbits)." He added, "Female rabbits give birth to 7 to 8 offspring every two months."

Also, Juan Samboda, a farmer near Verd? in Catalonia who cultivates grapevines, olives, and chickpeas, lamented, "If this year is as dry as last year, the grapevines will not survive."

The Catalonia regional government announced that more than 250,000 rabbits must be culled by September to prevent further damage. However, The Guardian viewed this number as beyond what local hunters can handle.

Meanwhile, many regions in Spain are currently suffering from severe drought. Last summer saw record-breaking heatwaves, and the winter was unusually dry. As a result, the total water reservoir level in Catalonia dropped to as low as 26% of the usual level.

As the drought worsened, in February, the Catalonia authorities implemented measures such as reducing agricultural water usage by 40%, industrial water usage by 15%, and limiting daily water supply for residents to an average of 230 liters per person.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.