Re: For the Love of Luther

["Frank O'Connor" <>]

David Geering wrote :
>While Fox control is critical for the survival of a
range
>of native fauna this control itself poses a series of
>problems.   Repeated studies have shown that the
control
>of foxes often (invariably ??) leads to an increase in
>cat numbers within the controlled area.  What is needed
>is a dual control program.  Unfortuneately, as it
>currently stands, the control of cats is extremely
>difficult as they do not readily take baits.  Shooting
>and trapping are very labour intensive and, except
>in very small areas, is just not efficient. 

This is no longer true.  Feral cats will take baits.  CALM in
Western Australia has developed a 1080 'chipolata' sausage which cats
will take.  They are dispersed by plane.  Tests in the Gibson
Desert and Lorna Glen Station have shown reduction in cat numbers of 95%
within two weeks (measured by counting cat tracks along tracks in
controlled and uncontrolled areas before and after the 
baiting).

Further surveys need to be done before application is made for approval
to use for cat control.  But there is the threat that the use of
1080 may be opposed by 'animal liberationists' because of
misunderstandings made by people such as Lorne Johnson.

Lorne Johnson wrote :
>I gotta say I hate the stuff for the sheer
>fact that it puts 'pest' animals through hideous
>pain when they die. Any animal being tortured is
>hard to cope with I reckon.

1080 puts the animal into a coma.  People do not experience pain in
a coma, and so there is no reason to believe that animals experience pain
either.  There have been reports (and video taken) of animals seen
kicking etc before they die, but this is no different to people having
dreams.  The use of the terms 'hideous pain' and 'tortured' is
totally untrue, misleading and could be used to disastrously affect the
success of the WA trials.

_________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor           Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au
Phone : (08) 9386 5694              Email : Birding-Aus is now on the Web at www.birding-aus.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line) to