A TURF war has erupted on the grounds of a Scots bowling green – as rampant rabbits run amok ruining the bowler’s surface.
Members at the Netherton Bowling Club, Dunfermline, are at the end of their tether as the 15 year problem continues to haunt them.
Bowlers are being forced to constantly repair the playing surface as the pesky creatures dig holes in the lawn and leave hundreds of small manure droplets strewn across their rink.
The members say they have tried everything to halt the march of the carrot-munchers including installing chicken wire fencing around the grounds.
And the club is now considering hiring a hawk to scare the cute mammals from their favoured patch.
Committee member Reg Banning, 77, said: “This has just gone on long enough – I think we’ve had the rabbits for about 15 years now and it’s just getting ridiculous.
“The blighters come out at night and we’ve even had someone stay back late and try and catch them but they’re too clever for that.
“We’ve tried everything including poisoning, fencing and snares but nothing seems to work.
“Our last resort would be to hire a hawk and hope it scares them away. I’ve heard it works with pigeon problems, so you never know.”
Rabbits too clever
Club Treasurer George Rennie said: “Last year there must have been 20 or 30 rabbits here. They burrow holes in the green as well as in the bankings and surrounding gardens.
“A fence was put up with four feet of chicken wire but now they seem to be coming from the other side of the club.
“You hardly see them during the day as they only come out at night.”
Ben Evans, a Dunfermline community council member, admitted there is not much the authorities can do to stop the rabbits destroying the bowling green.
He said: “We asked environmental health about control of rabbits but they say they do nothing to control them as they are not classed as pests, and every so often it comes full circle and they are wiped out.
“They let the process run its natural course.”
