If you go down to the Naze today you’re in for a big surprise.

No there isn’t a teddy bears’, picnic but you may be surprised to see a rabbit.

That’s because their numbers have declined in recent years.

Most locals know about the disease myxomatosis that affects rabbits, caused by the myxoma virus.

It was first observed in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century.

It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population.

Affected rabbits develop skin tumors, and in some cases blindness, followed by fatigue and fever with death occurring within 14 days.

As of 2018 it has spread to hares in the UK and there is growing concern about the numbers of hares dying, which additionally could be down to a new deadly virus.

The first UK cases of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus type 2 (RHDV2) in dead hares were detected in two locations – one case near Braintree in north Essex and two near Bridport in Dorset.

The breakthrough discovery was made after reports of a high number of sick and dead hares being found across the region last autumn.

The virus causes a lethargy in its victims meaning the majority of rabbits die in their burrows but because hares live above ground, any deaths are more visible.

Concerns about new diseases were raised after landowners, farmers and other members of the public started reporting sightings of obviously sick and dead hares in September 2018.

Biologists at the University of East Anglia (UEA), say RHDV2 normally affects rabbits, but the disease is now known to have jumped to European brown hares.

Rabbits are often said to have been brought to Britain by the Romans, but strictly speaking they were actually re-introduced.

This is because rabbits are known to have been a common element of the British fauna in what is known as the Hoxian interglacial period 400,000 years ago, evidence being found at several Paleolithic sites including north west Kent.

A further record however shows they were to be found in the current interglacial period about 11,000 years ago at a Mesolithic site in Berkshire.

After this period their numbers declined and rabbits were restricted to the Iberian peninsula until brought back by the Romans 2,000 years ago.