Eat the Invaders on ABC and ABC iview S1E1 – Tony heads to Barwon Park in Winchelsea, Victoria, where English aristocrat Thomas Austin once introduced 24 rabbits, sparking one of the largest bio-invasions in history, all in the name of sport.
A CSIRO scientist explains the environmental damage rabbits continue to cause and the science behind various eradication attempts. Will the rabbit problem ever be fully resolved?
Tony and historian Guy Hull visit the local butcher to buy wild rabbit but find none available, so they enlist a local hunter. The hunter bags two rabbits and reflects on his 50 years of ferreting for food – a once-common practice that has become rare.
With the rabbits dressed but no clue how to cook them, Tony and Guy turn to the local Country Women’s Association (CWA) for recipes. The women recall childhood memories of hunting, cooking, and eating rabbits, and how the introduction of viruses to control the population wiped out what was once a national dish. After tasting a traditional rabbit stew, Tony wonders if this invasive species could make a comeback on modern dinner plates.
At the Winchelsea town hall, Tony tests the CWA’s rabbit pies on local kids. Reactions are mixed – some enjoy it, while others don’t. Invasion biologists Phill and Andy reveal that the rabbit crisis has cost Australia $8 billion, pondering how that money could be allocated to their control.
Back at Mona, Tony goes down the rabbit hole with beloved chef Poh Ling Yeow for a high-art feast prepared by Kirsha and Vince.
Production credit:
Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A Closer Productions production for the ABC. Principal production funding from Screen Australia and the ABC. Financed with support from the South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Tasmania. International sales by ABC Commercial. Writer and director: Matthew Bate. Executive Producer: Rebecca Summerton. Producer: Sarah Wormald. Creative Producer: Kirsha Kaechele. ABC Commissioning Editor: Kalita Corrigan. ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist: Susie Jones
Eat the Invaders on ABC and ABC iview – Tuesday 7 January at 8.30pm
TV Central ABC content HERE
Eat the Invaders on ABC and ABC iview S1E1
