New research by Department of Conservation staff confirms what has long been suspected—feral and domestic cats are repeatedly hunting and eating New Zealand’s native bats, or pekapeka. In a recently published research paper in the NZ Journal of Zoology, DOC Science Advisor Dr. Kerry Borkin examined the gut contents of a feral cat trapped in […]
Tag: feral cat
New Zealand’s conservationists to eradicate predators like possums, rats, feral cats, and hedgehogs from Stewart Island
Conservationists in New Zealand are starting the biggest campaign in history to rid a populated island of imported predators. The conservation organization Predator Free Rakiura and the crown research center Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research have agreed to a four-year, $2.8 million partnership to eradicate predators like possums, rats, feral cats, and hedgehogs. The project will also […]
Millions of native creatures, including wallabies, green rosellas, cockatoos, and wombats, have been killed in Tasmania under property protection licences
According to data compiled by the state government, millions of native creatures, including wallabies, green rosellas, cockatoos, and wombats, have been killed in Tasmania under property protection licences. The Tasmanian Greens argue that a wider legislative investigation into the management and protection of wildlife in Tasmania should be conducted in order to study the “staggering” […]
Truffle-eating marsupial on ‘brink of extinction’
One of only two remaining populations of an “ecosystem engineer” truffle-eating marsupial found in Queensland is much smaller than originally thought and could be declining further, according to new research. Scientists studying northern bettongs on the Mount Carbine Tableland in north-eastern Queensland have estimated the number of animals in that location is fewer than 50, […]
What the Mauritius kestrel can teach us about wildlife reintroductions
They were once considered the most threatened bird in the world: with just four remaining individuals on the island in 1974, the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) seemed doomed to extinction. Now, it’s a conservation marvel, acting as an example for the translocation and reintroduction of other species too. A team of scientists from five organizations […]
POLL: Should the massive culling of feral cats be allowed (with long read)?
In the deep winter weeks of last July, Shane Morse and Kevin Figliomeni nearly always got up before the sun rose. They awoke next to the remains of a campfire or, occasionally, in a roadside motel, and in the darkness before dawn they began unloading poisoned sausage from their refrigerated truck. The sausage was for […]
POLL: Should outdoor cats be prevented from killing birds?
More than 1 million native Australian birds are killed across the country by cats every day, new research shows. The study, published in the journal Biological Conversation, estimates feral cats kill 316 million birds a year, while pet cats kill 61 million birds annually. More than 99% are native. “Everyone knows that cats kill birds, […]
POLL: Should we prevent our cats from killing birds?
The only sure way to prevent pet cats from killing birds is to keep them inside or to walk them outdoors on a leash. These methods are encouraged by veterinarians, animal welfare groups and environmentalists. Yet, less than half of the estimated 73 million cats in the United States live indoors according to the National […]