Latest news with #feralCats
RNZ News
4 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Call for feral cats to be added to predator free hit list
environment about 1 hour ago Waipa District Council is pushing for feral cats to added to DOC's predator free hit list. There are an estimated 2.4 million feral cats in New Zealand compared to 1.2 million pet cats, and about 200,000 stray cats. They are considered a significant threat to native wildlife, particularly birds. Now the conservation department has asked for feedback on whether feral cats should be a so-called target species. Waipa District councillor Marcus Gower spoke to Lisa Owen.
ABC News
31-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Petition to restrict cat owners rejected by Queensland government
The Queensland government has rejected a call to tighten the laws on domestic cat ownership to help protect the environment. The petition, tabled in March by Sunshine Coast resident Tony Magrathea, called for cats to be kept inside or within a cattery outside the home. It called for a limit on how many could be kept in a household, mandatory desexing, and a ban on breeding. It also called for the state government to take over control of domestic cat management from local governments. Mr Magrathea said varying laws across the 77 local government areas had contributed to the feral cat problem. "Some [councils] have limited how many [cats] you can have, some you have to register them, some you have to keep inside and it's pot luck where you live as to what rules you get," he said. The government on Thursday rejected the petition which attracted more than 1,100 signatures. Primary Industries Minister and Gympie MP, Tony Perrett, said local governments were best placed to manage cats. "They understand the unique needs of their community and are responsible for managing cats, including stray and roaming cats, under their local laws," Mr Perrett said. Mr Magrathea said he was disappointed in the state government's response. The Australian Capital Territory has the tightest restrictions across the country with owners required to microchip and desex their cats by four months and have 24/7 pet containment. According to the Invasive Species Council, the average pet cat kills more than a hundred reptiles, birds, and mammals annually. The head of the University of Adelaide's Invasion Science and Wildlife Ecology Group, Phill Cassey, said cats were vivacious killers and one of the top introduced predators of small to medium-sized native animals. "They do roam a lot." He said pet owners consistently underestimated how far their cats were going. "They're travelling many kilometres," he said. Dr Cassey said an overarching authority to manage domestic cats made sense as councils' varying policies offered a piecemeal approach. "We don't want to stop people having cats, they're an incredibly important companion animal, but they need to be kept inside because once they're outside they have a devastating impact on our animals," he said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Warning over feral invader raiding Aussie homes: 'More than we've ever seen'
WARNING — GRAPHIC CONTENT: An Australian man working on the front lines of the country's invasive species crisis has urged governments to consider subsidising the efforts of hunters, in a bid to increase appetite among those willing to help fight back against predators like feral cats and foxes. South Australian man Tate, from Mount Gambier in the state's southeast, is a volunteer hunter. Speaking to Yahoo News, he said Australia's battle against introduced pests needs much more attention, with livestock farmers in particular copping the brunt of the destruction. Tate, who has been hunting foxes and feral cats for years, said the situation is "getting well out of hand". He warned that cats in particular are "a massive danger to our native wildlife", with there being "more feral cats than we've ever seen in the past." This week, he shared images online of a ginger cat he recently intercepted. Tate said the example is merely the tip of the iceberg. "I believe feral cats are a little bit worse than foxes, but they're both a huge problem," he said. "And it's without a doubt getting worse." The South Australian said the foxes where he lives have become so emboldened they even search for food on the streets in town. "They're just all over, and they can be very cruel," he said. "I had a lady recently who had seven chickens, and one came in, took a chicken and killed the rest for no reason. "Another farmer, he's got a feral cat problem, and he's got an aviary of budgies and parrots and stuff, and the cat actually chewed its way through the aviary wire to get to these birds. It's pretty gruesome, to be honest with you." 🦘 Rare victory in fight to protect critically endangered Aussie species 🐱 Iconic species faces 'being lost forever' over $18 billion threat 🦊 Predators in outback held back by fence covering 300-hectares Tate, who runs the South East Vermin Control page, said these local examples provide just a glimpse into the broader issue around the country, with native wildlife, and small mammals in particular, in many cases being forced to the brink of extinction. "Some states like Victoria have bounties on foxes, and we need them for cats too," he said. "That would entice people to get out there and make a dent in these populations. Even if it's $5 to $8 a scalp or something like that — that's still going to cover your ammo for the night." "The farmers are looking after their own properties, but all the other recreational hunters are like, well, why the hell would I waste my fuel and my ammo to go look after someone else's property if I'm not going to get anything out of it?" Feral cats and red foxes have had a devastating impact on Australia's unique ecosystems, contributing significantly to the country's status as having the worst mammal extinction rate in the world. Together, they've helped drive over 25 native species to extinction, and continue to threaten more than 100 others — including small marsupials, ground-nesting birds, and reptiles — many of which occur nowhere else on Earth. Feral cats are considered one of the most damaging invasive species in Australia. Estimates suggest they kill more than 1.5 billion native animals every year, with even low-density populations capable of wiping out vulnerable species in a region. Their economic impact is also staggering. According to research, feral cats cost the Australian economy around $1 billion a year, including expenses for control efforts, ecological damage, and biodiversity loss. Foxes, introduced in the 19th century for recreational hunting, similarly prey on native wildlife, but also affect agriculture by attacking livestock and poultry. While they're often less numerous than cats, foxes can be just as ecologically destructive in areas where native species haven't evolved defences against such efficient predators. Together, these invasive carnivores have reshaped the Australian landscape by decimating populations of native animals, destabilising ecosystems, and creating costly challenges for conservation and agriculture. Their presence is a key reason why efforts to recover threatened species often require large-scale predator control or the creation of fenced sanctuaries to give native wildlife a fighting chance. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- RNZ News
Sausage used as secret weapon in war against feral cats
Sausage baits are the latest weapon in the ongoing battle against the scourge of feral cats. File photo. Photo: SUPPLIED / DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION Recent trials of sausage baits to control feral cat numbers are producing exciting results, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says. Feral cats were one of New Zealand's most ferocious predators, feeding on native bats, lizards, birds and theirs eggs, wētā and other insects. As part of its Predator Free 2050 strategy, the department worked with pest control company Orillion to develop a meat sausage bait to bolster more widespread control of feral cats. Thousands of baits were scattered from helicopters across a 5000 hectare area of St James Conservation Area in inland Canterbury during spring last year. For every hectare, one 18-gram sausage was dropped. Nine out of 10 feral cats being monitored by GPS in the area found baits and were killed. Feral cats have been a menace to New Zealand wildlife for decades. File photo. Photo: SUPPLIED / DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION DOC national eradication team manager Stephen Horn said the results were promising. "We monitored a sample of feral cats fitted with GPS-VHF collars and nine out of ten cats in the trial area quickly found the baits and were killed," he said. "We also used a grid of 50 cameras to monitor the presence of feral cats before and after the baiting. We detected cats 63 times before the operation and just once after." Monitoring at St James also showed stoat and ferret numbers declined to "very low levels" after the operation, most likely from eating baits. Another recent trial at Otago's Macraes Flat resulted in similar success, with all 11 tracked cats dying. "It's exciting," Horn said. "After several years of bait development these trials take us a step closer to being able to register the new bait for wider use," "A new tool to target feral cats will be a game changer for protecting our vulnerable wildlife, which is found nowhere else in the world." Further trials will be held in forested habitats this year. File photo. Photo: SUPPLIED / DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION During the trials, the bait was delivered without toxin to cue feral cats to the sausages with the second round of bait laced with small amounts of 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate). It followed previous research showing sausage baits were highly attractive to feral cats and not attractive to most native species, including kiwi and deer. The department would carry out further trials in forested habitats this year, with the risk of baits to taonga species like tuna/eel and kea to be assessed. There were plans for the bait to be used to help remove feral cats from Auckland Island as part of a bid to eradicate all pests, including feral pigs and mice from its large sub-antarctic nature reserve. A second sausage bait, using the registered toxin para-aminopropiophenone, was in development to control stoats. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
