New Zealand has announced plans to eradicate feral cats by 2050, as part of efforts to protect the country’s biodiversity.
Speaking to Radio New Zealand on Thursday, conservation minister Tama Potaka said that feral cats are “stone cold killers” and would be added to the country’s Predator Free 2050 list, which aims to eradicate those animals that have a negative impact on species such as birds, bats, lizards and insects.
Cats had previously been excluded from the list, which includes species such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats and possums, but Potaka used the interview to announce a U-turn.
Is it possible to eliminate the population over time via spay/neuter methods or is that not viable in NZ’s case?
CW: harm to animals
Sadly no, there’s really no humane solution that can outpace their population growth. Unfortunately culling is the lesser of two evils, cats are apex predators in these environments and they’re a significant contributor to the extinction of native fauna. It should have been a priority a long time ago.
It’s horrible. It isn’t even practical to shoot them so they get baited and (IMO) we don’t even have a good solution for baiting them since the agent most commonly used also kills other (native) mammals and dissolves into waterways very easily. Plus it’s a really unpleasant death.
I’m surprised there isn’t a viral option like there has been for feral rabbits, but I guess that was a pretty miserable death too.
Release the Bird Flu it’ll be fine I promise
Just need to introduce dogs as a predator to the cats
But then the feral dog packs will grow even more powerful.
deleted by creator
I mean its worth a shot right, what could even go wrong.
Which are 3 species of bats, 1 of which has not had a confirmed sighting since 1960’s!
Learned this like 2 days ago, odd that it became relevant on HB. And they said pub trivia nights are a waste of time and money
Too much cost/not enough scale. And it would be hard to get all of them. Also, as mentioned in the article, if they are left alive they kill native wildlife, so they really shouldn’t be left alive.
what if they trap them all and uhhhh put them on some island somewhere and that’s the cats’ island now
They can have Epstein’s old joint.
Good news! Cat Island https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjfuB8Xjhc4
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
I think the ecological damage resulting from doing that would outweigh any moral benefits of not just killing them.
net zero solar powered chinese produced cat freighters
Dumping all the feral cats in New Zealand into Curtis Sliwa’s apartment while he’s not home