Ethics of Killing ! ! !

[Darby]

They are 2 different but related things - mortality rate versus reproductive rate. On a rabbit farm, mortality exceeds reproduction, and they pretty much all die, because the virus spreads in its original nasty form. The viruses eventually kill all of their hosts, but a milder variant would have exhausted the host supply too, if more slowly.

Out in the fields, where hosts are not locked up in close quarters, viral variants that are less nasty, that can keep bunnies moving and spreading their milder viral offspring, will be the long-term survivors, but over such a short time scale that the rabbits' reproductive rates won't matter that much (it won't take them too long to replace the deceased, though).

Did that make it clearer?

[Linn]

IMO
As long as the animal is treated as humanely as can be. And when not being "experimented" on they shpould have comfortable, clean living conditions. And if experiment may cause pain of course they should be given painkillers. And never treated roughly.

[123Herpatology]

yah much clearer thanks darby

[Navin]

What do you guys think of the killing of insects like butterflies or dragonflies for a specimen collection?

[vk4vfx]

The Rabbit problem here in Australia years back was shocking they caused mass desertification and erosion thus changing the whole ecosystem, the first biological attack was the Mixomytosis virus many years back until the rabbit built up a resistance, this virus caused terrible flu like symptoms.

The Colici virus (prob incorrect spelling) was next that affects their ability to reproduce. With these types of viruses I wouldn’t be to concerned about them mutating and affecting us humans as evolution has given us a sort of built in species barrier it can not cross although that statement is not entirely correct as it has happened before e.g. CJD & BSE and many more.

Stu

[alextemplet]

What about the most natural killing of all, hunting?

[mkwaje]

whew.. To kill or not to kill... there is no clear line when to stop. It probably is up to the one who will do the deed. We can say that's bad, or that's ok but then in the end its the effect of the deeds that matter.

[shyan]

all animal testing in labs should be outlawed-people ae not worth the suffering those animals go through. besides, who are we to favoure one species over another?