The barking owl is a striking-looking hunter found in Australia’s woodlands. Compact, powerful and yellow-eyed, it spends the day roosting in foliage before emerging to hunt mammals, birds, reptiles and insects as the light fades. It is often heard before it is seen: alongside its dog-like bark, this owl can produce an eerie, wavering scream […]
Tag: feral cats
Once Extinct in the Wild, Bandicoot Marsupial to be Released Across Australia After Being Bred For Survival (LOOK)
In Australia, the eastern barred bandicoot was declared extinct in the wild in 1991, after the population dwindled to just 60 living at a landfill site in Victoria. But now, the marsupial has been “bred for survival” and will be released into a half dozen reintroduction sites across the country after previous attempts to reintroduce […]
Defying drought and invasives, a feisty Australian marsupial makes a comeback
The ampurta, a blond or brown guinea pig-sized marsupial, is distinctive for its short, fat tail that becomes a black mohawk at the tip. This micro-predator, also known as the crest-tailed mulgara, was once abundant in the arid, sandy landscapes of Central Australia as well as Western Australia. But by 1994, it had been listed […]
‘Taking back the desert’: can Australia’s small marsupials learn how to live alongside their predator, the feral cat?
In the middle of the Australian outback’s arid deserts, many of the country’s distinctive small marsupials – the bilbies, bandicoots and quolls – have been missing for a century or more, wiped out by land clearing and the hunting prowess of feral cats. Felis catus – introduced by European invaders and settlers – was too […]
This Little Marsupial Was Almost Extinct But Recovered Totally During Australian Mega Drought
For an Australian marsupial facing extinction on a continent-wide scale, the news of an oncoming drought back in 2001 probably felt like the coming of the end times. But in a surprising break from the narrative, the ampurta (Dasycercus hillieri) a rat-sized predatory marsupial that was listed as Endangered in 1999, thrived through the lean […]
Tabby’s likely ancestor & Earth’s most widespread wildcat is an enigma
The Afro-Asiatic wildcat (Felis lybica) is the world’s most widely distributed wildcat, but experts and information on the species are scarce. The species’ range is immense, stretching across most of Africa, Southwest and Central Asia, India, China and Mongolia. But Arash Ghoddousi, lead author for F. lybica’s 2022 IUCN species conservation assessment, says the study […]
Shooters to target feral cats in NSW national parks amid boom in population
A five-person team of expert shooters will soon target feral cats in New South Wales national parks as the state steps up efforts to control the pest animals. The intensive ground operation is being deployed in response to increased cat numbers, according to National Parks and Wildlife Service deputy secretary, Atticus Fleming. “Intensive, well-targeted ground […]
Controversial Cat Hunt in New Zealand Sparks Debate
In rural New Zealand, an annual hunting competition has stirred controversy by including feral cats among its targets. This year, participants in the North Canterbury event killed around 340 feral cats, a significant increase from the previous year. The event, which aims to raise funds for local causes, also features hunting categories for deer, pigs, […]