Why were rabbits such a menace in Australia?

Rabbits became a menace in Australia because they breed so quickly and eat almost any vegetable. Three pairs of rabbits were introduced into Australia in the 18th Century. They multiplied so rapidly that, with the addition of others which were brought over, they spread over most of the continent and caused a tremendous amount of damage.The female rabbit, or doe, produces four eight litters of five to eight young in a year. They are blind, helpless and nearly naked at birth, but in two weks are able to run, and in a month can fend for themselves. At the age of six months they are able to breed. It is reckoned that a pair of rabbits, given ideal conditions, could in three years have 13,718,000 descendants.