It is dusk beside a creek and we are instructed to look for a trail of bubbles, under which could be one of the world’s weirdest mammals. When you’re desperate to see a platypus in the fading light, everything looks like one. Floating logs from bank-side paperbark trees, gyrating leaves caught in a dance with the […]
Tag: feral cats
Australian wildlife 20 times more likely to encounter deadly feral cats than native predators
Australia’s wildlife are at least 20 times more likely to come across a deadly feral cat than one of the country’s native predators, according to a new study. Invasive cats, which kill billions of native animals each year, form a triple threat, the study finds, by hunting with greater intensity, in broader environments and in […]
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 Hawaii’s feral cats be killed to protect indigenous species?
It is estimated that there are several HUNDRED THOUSAND cats on the island of Oahu alone. FERAL discusses the overpopulation of feral cats in Hawaii. The film highlights: 1) The various reasons as to why this is a MAJOR problem: the health and well being of the cats predation on critically endangered species a strange […]
Poll: Should Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs be used to handle feral cats?
Feral cats are cats who have had little or no significant contact with humans. These cats are used to fending for themselves and don’t do well as an indoor pet cat. Many cat lovers have turned to Trap-Neuter-Return programs (also known as TNR) to handle the feral cats in their communities. There may already be […]
Can Mull be a NNR whilst culling pine martens?
Hot topics Currently there are a few stories hitting the news across Mull; the possibility of Mull becoming a national nature reserve and the issue of the pine marten (Martes martes) breeding on the isle. It is safe to say I have some strong opinions on both of these hot topics. Here on the isle […]
Extinction by stealth: how long can the Scottish wildcat survive?
Are these the final few days of the Scottish wildcat, currently numbering perhaps as few as 35 scattered beasts? That is the fear of some supporters of Scotland’s most vivid species, and it is leading to an almighty row over a creature that has graced the Highlands for around 10,000 years. The argument relates to […]
Why the lynx effect would send Scotland wild
As Edinburgh Zoo’s panda freakshow continues to captivate the witless and the infantile, a real Scottish animal has been allowed to die. Under the noses of Scottish Natural Heritage, which likes to be known as the nation’s leading conservation body, the Scottish wildcat has all but been extinguished from the Highlands. The importance of this […]