South Africa's iconic tourist attraction has been shut down by a rabbit invasion. " Robben Island, the wind-swept site where Nelson Mandela spent so many years in jail, has been home to thousands of lepers and political prisoners. But now it's struggling to cope with its latest inhabitants — rabbits," reports the Associated Press.

Rabbit Invasion Shuts Down Mandela Museum

Travel Wire reports, " Robben Island Museum has issued a notice of closure for two weeks from 1 November 2008 to 16 November 2008 to carry out essential maintenance and other improvement projects to:
1.Repair and replace tour buses; 2.Refurbish vessels; 3.and, manage the invasive European rabbit population.


"The current population is so large that it threatens to permanently damage the island's sensitive vegetation, and poses a serious threat to other fauna species," said Seelan Naidoo, an official at the Robben Island museum.

BBC reports that a "humane" cull would be carried out in co-ordination with animal rights groups, he said. This will be followed by a sterilization program aimed at allowing a small and manageable population of rabbits.

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