An Otago Regional Council rabbit monitoring analysis for this year noted "hotspots" where rabbit numbers remained a "challenge".
Council chairwoman Gretchen Robertson said after a relatively warm winter, it was particularly worrying that rabbits anecdotally appeared to be flourishing in some places more than usual this spring.
An Otago Daily Times photograph of an infestation of rabbits at a Waihola farm at the weekend illustrated the type of rabbit "hotspots" found around the region, she said.
"Each land occupier is responsible for controlling rabbits on their property.
"Because rabbits cause a huge amount of damage, our teams are out there monitoring and supporting communities to bring rabbit numbers under control."
When staff presented the council’s first annual report on its expanded rabbit monitoring programme, some councillors expressed concern the staff analysis generally indicating low rabbit numbers would not match their constituents’ observations.
Cr Alexa Forbes said it was "a little problematic" the analysis had not included information on semi-rural and peri-urban areas (where land use transitions between urban and rural).
Near where she lived, there were far more than the reported average of four rabbits per kilometre.
It was "teeming" on the banks of the Kawarau River.
The analysis, presented to the council’s environmental implementation committee this month, included the results of 29 out of 31 night count routes planned through about 466km of rural Otago.
There were 15 routes the council had continued from previous years and the establishment of 16 new routes this year.
By last month, 439km had been completed, the analysis report said.
However, counts in Waihola and Luggate had been delayed until this month due to lambing.
"Overall, the average density, by route, is 3.6 rabbits per kilometre," the analysis said.
"When the data is analysed in terms of each section, the average density increases slightly to four rabbits per kilometre."
On 19 of the routes there were fewer than two rabbits per kilometre.
Yet, in Hyde there were 6.5 rabbits per kilometre, in Moeraki 14.4 rabbits per kilometre, and in Ettrick 43.5 rabbits per kilometre, the analysis said.
However, night counts, conducted using spotlights, were not appropriate in semi-rural and peri-urban areas, it said.
Environmental implementation team leader Sarah Irvine said there were community rabbit programmes in Queensberry, Lake Hayes, Gibbston, Otago Peninsula and Moeraki where inspections were used.
Thermal photo capture had also been trialled to collect baseline data on rabbit numbers in Wanaka and Queenstown, she said.
The inspections in the five main community programme areas showed progress was being made there, "but continued support is required".
Initially nearly 600 properties over the five areas were inspected and 61% were compliant.
"Following engagement with these communities and recent inspections in September and October 2023, this number has increased to 85% of properties over the five areas now compliant," she said.
She said the council was aware of rabbit hotspots in Waihola and had been working with land occupiers there as well.
Last year, the council undertook property inspections to map rabbit infestations locally.
"Of the properties that were inspected in 2022, 35% were compliant ... following re-inspection in 2023, 72% of properties originally inspected are now compliant," she said.
