Disturbing discovery off Aussie coast leaves residents baffled: ‘Nothing would go near them’

Rabbits are strictly land animals, making the sight particularly strange. So what happened here?

Over 20 dead rabbits were spotted floating in the sea off Sloping Island in Tasmania over the weekend, sparking confusion among locals. Source: Andii Kneebone

A disturbing discovery off an island in the country’s south has left locals baffled, with a series of photos revealing dozens of dead animals mysteriously floating in the sea.

The images were taken off Sloping Island — east of Hobart in Tasmania — and show at least 20 dead rabbits drifting in the water in bizarre scenes photographed over the weekend.

Local woman Andii Kneebone, from Sorell, told Yahoo News Australia she spotted the floating rabbits on Saturday.

“They weren’t shot, had no visible injuries and had clearly been in the water for a while,” she recalled, adding the animals were “smelly” and bloated.

Rabbits are strictly land animals, making the sight particularly strange and raising the obvious question of how so many could have ended up drifting offshore.

Andii said she was shocked by what she witnessed, describing the scene as “absolutely horrific”.

While rabbits are among Australia’s most destructive invasive species — responsible for widespread environmental damage — the sight left her totally puzzled.

“Nothing would go near them. Not even seals,” she said.

Andii was out on her brother’s boat that day and said, “As we went around the island, we saw more and more”.

Unsure what could have caused it, she shared the photos on social media, where the strange sight quickly drew attention.

What started as a single post soon spiralled into a heated discussion, eventually attracting more than 1000 responses from curious locals trying to piece together what might have happened.

Tasmania residents were puzzled as to how the animals ended up in the water. Source: Andii Kneebone

But what actually caused their deaths?

Yahoo News asked the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Tasmania, which oversees the island, if it had an explanation.

“While there have not been any recent rabbit control measures on Sloping Island, it is not unusual for outbreaks of rabbit viruses such as myxomatosis,” a department spokesperson said.

“And the naturally occurring strain of calicivirus is starting to appear at this time of the year,” they said.

“In any instance where members of the public find dead animals in such circumstances, and do not know the cause of death, they should avoid contact and report to NRE Tasmania.”

What makes rabbits so destructive?

Rabbits are widely considered one of Australia’s most damaging invasive species.

Introduced in the 19th century, they spread rapidly across the continent and today cause extensive environmental harm by overgrazing vegetation, eroding soil and competing with native wildlife for food and habitat.

Their impact has long forced governments and land managers to undertake large-scale control programs.

These can include biological controls such as the rabbit viruses myxomatosis and calicivirus, alongside baiting and other population management methods aimed at limiting their spread.

While such measures are considered critical for protecting ecosystems and agriculture, they can also spark debate among members of the public.

Animal welfare groups and community members sometimes raise concerns about the humaneness of certain control techniques, particularly when large numbers of animals are affected.

For now, the mystery of the floating rabbits remains unclear, but the bizarre sight off Sloping Island has once again highlighted the complicated balance between managing a destructive invasive species and maintaining humane standards in wildlife control.