Could anybody replying to this thread please remember to trim all the messages
below before sending?
Peter Shute, moderator
Sent from my iPad
> On 21 Feb 2015, at 11:09 am, Julie Lake <> wrote:
>
> FERAL CATS
>
> There is little point agitating for the destruction of feral cats - to make
> a vdery bad pun: that cat is already long out of the bag. Nobody but a
> prescient few of us true nature-lovers and ecological scientists really care
> 2. It would take a concerted effort at both federal AND state AND local
> government levels - impossible to co-ordinate
> 3. There are already so many millions of cats out there, in every kind of
> habitat except (possibly) the high peaks of the Australian Alps that to
> cull by shooting, baiting or any other direct kill method is just not
> possible.
>
> The only way we could rid ourselves of this dreadful pest is to use the
> same sort of biological control as used with rabbits - with all the dangers
> that come with this method (assuming that such a control could be found -
> and funded). And, at the same time, ban the keeping of cats as domestic
> pets throughout Australia. Sterilisation just isn't good enough - people
> ignore the regulation and it's amazing how many litters of kittens a couple
> of no-sterilised cats can produce.
>
> Perhaps, using a combination of methods, we could significantly reduce
> feral cat numbers - but I doubt it.
>
> I believe this particular pest has already had a significantly adverse
> affect on our bird populations, as well as on populations of small mammals
> and reptiles. It will continue to do so. We can only hope that at least
> some of the more vulnerable bird species will be able to evolve
> defence/evasion strategies before they are driven to extinction.
>
> Julie Lake
> Tamborine Mountain
>
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