Myxomatosis is back.

It never really went away, but we are seeing an increase in the number of wild rabbits with the disease.

We found an infected wild rabbit in our car park last week and, sadly, it’s only a matter of time before the wild rabbits that we’ve rescued and released onto our nature trail become infected.

Myxomatosis a particularly nasty viral disease and it can take an infected rabbit (or hare) several weeks to die.

All the more disappointing, then, to think that it was deliberately introduced into the rabbit population in the 1950s as a way of controlling rabbit numbers.

At that time it’s thought that 99% of the UK rabbit population was eradicated.

The disease can also affect domestic rabbits because it spreads so easily through fleas, ticks, mites and midgies.

When the virus takes hold, the eyes and nose of the rabbit start to swell and become ulcerated until the poor animal becomes completely blind and has difficulty breathing - it’s a protracted way to die and it causes great suffering.

There is no cure for myxomatosis and so prevention is the only way to guard against a pet rabbit becoming infected, so a pet rabbit should be given annual vaccinations for both myxomatosis and another fatal disease called HRD.

What should you do if you find a wild rabbit with myxomatosis?

In order to prevent further suffering, the rabbit will need to be humanely euthanised by a veterinarian.

Please take the infected rabbit to your nearest veterinary practice in a box or carrier, and wear gloves if you can.

Please do not take the rabbit into the waiting room because you may inadvertently spread the disease - simply advise the reception staff that you have the rabbit outside.

They will then make appropriate arrangements.

You will not be charged for taking an injured or diseased wild animal to a veterinarian.

On to happier matters. We have several pet rabbits looking for new homes, including black and white Rascal who came to us as a stray.

We think he had been fending for himself for some time in the wild, and he has a badly torn ear to show for it.

He deserves to be a much-loved family pet now, and the small animals unit team will happily arrange for Rascal to go through a bonding process with a new owner’s existing rabbit.

We have several bonded pairs of rabbits looking for new homes.

Six-month-old females, Spider (grey) and Ghost (black), are super friendly and playful.

They love their hay and will chew on it contentedly for hours at a time, and they are litter-trained - they really are a perfect pair.

Rebecca (a lop-eared rabbit) and Munch (a cross-breed) are also good eaters, and equally clean and tidy

They’re middle-aged rabbits but they’re just as bouncy and fun-loving as the youngsters.

Fun-loving youngsters of the human kind will be out showing their support for the Manx SPCA this Saturday (March 30) at the Courthouse night club in Douglas.

The club is holding an animal-themed ’Let’s Get Wild’ fancy dress night, and the action starts at 10pm.

Let’s hope the party animals wake up in time on Sunday to celebrate Mother’s Day.

The tearooms staff are expecting to be busy and they will be preparing extra ’specials’ and delicious cakes to meet demand.

If you would like to reserve a table, please call them on 853409.