The best type of virus, would be one that causes sterility in males.
Carl Clifford
> On 20 Feb 2015, at 2:49 pm, Stephen <> wrote:
>
> The loss of a Night Parrot to a feral cat is sad and dismaying, especially
> as it is merely a known case among other unknowns, presumably.
>
> The unfortunate truth is that feral cats are now part of Australia's fauna,
> along with foxes, cane toads etc. Despite many calls here for governments to
> do something, nothing can be done. Cats, like rabbits, are rapid breeders,
> and their biggest enemies are other cats eager for a vacant territory and
> food supply. Remove a cat, and you create a space for a grown kitten that
> otherwise might starve, as most young of most species do.
>
> To permanently affect a local population of cats there would need to be
> constant efforts of eradication, and even that would merely keep numbers
> low. That effort across a continent is impossible.
>
> A potential answer may be a genetically engineered virus for cats, both
> deadly and virulent. Were such developed, it could not be used lest it
> escape Australia to destroy native cats of all types in the old world.
>
> Cats and foxes are an undoubted threat to birds and other native animals,
> but the greater threat probably is habitat loss through clearing, grazing,
> weeds, fire-regimes etc, etc.
>
> I don't have an answer; I just have a fear for these vulnerable species.
>
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