Christine Melrose said:
>> Dear all
>> From Russell's points about Night Parrot it is absolutely clear that Night
>> Parrot be protected from Feral Cats. We've also seen the photos if them
>> sitting in Letter Winged Kite nests. I've never been involved with starting
>> a campaign before but do feel passionately about ridding this country of
>> feral cats. Starting with promoting this through Birdlife Aus are there any
>> suggestions as to how we can have a concerted, concentrated campaign over
>> many years to push councils, state and federal governments to act on this?
>> I'm going to start to research as much as I can about feral cats so I am
>> acting from a factual rather than emotional background. Are there any other
>> suggestions from the list on how to get started?
>> Cheers
>> Christine
>>
>> Christine Melrose
In response to Christine and David Robinson:
Below is an extract from Minister Hunt's press release on the appointment of
the Threatened Species Commissioner and refers to a poison called Curiosity.
It would be worth contacting the Commisioner asking about progress and other
plans to tackle this problem.
I have emailed the minister urging him to give the matter of funding a high
priority during the budget process. Could I suggest that others might do
something similar. Strong, widespread public support could achieve something.
But, time is short.
A report from Sydney university has proposed a realigning of the dingo fence to
open up Sturt NP to allow a study of dingos as a feral cat control agent. I
raised this with the NSW NPWS, and I understand that having had this brought to
their attention, a briefing note will be sent to the Minister. I have also
urged the NPWS to seek a cooperative approach with other relevant government
agencies to tackle the problem.
I have been trying to collect info on controls of domestic cat ownership to see
whether it is worth seeking a uniform registration system across the country.
Tasmania seems to have a strong system in place. I agree that the cat-owning
community is one to be brought on board.
My local conservation groups have been contacted to see if they will give
priority to the problem.
From what I see, there is a lot actually happening, but in dispersed and
different ways from state to state and by lots of different bodies. What is
needed is a well-funded coordinated control plan together with raising public
awareness and support for control and management. It also seems that a few
things are coming together that provide a window of opportunity that gives a
chance of things happening. Let's try to grab it.
Peter Morgan
http://www.greghunt.com.au/Home/LatestNews/tabid/133/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2881/Threatened-Species-protection.aspx
The recently published Action Plan for Australian Mammals shows that targeted
interventions to address predators such as feral cats can have very effective
results.
As one of his first actions, the Commissioner will develop a plan of priority
actions to prevent extinctions and halt the decline of Australia’s most
threatened species.
As part of this plan, the Commissioner will champion the next stage of the
development of a feral cat bait – called Curiosity – which is showing promise
as an effective and humane approach to the problem. It might have some value.
The Curiosity bait for feral cats comprises a small meat-based sausage
containing a small hard plastic pellet filled with toxin. Feral cats do not
have molar teeth and do not chew their food so they will reliably swallow
portions of the sausage including the pellet.
Most of our native animals nibble and chew their food so will reject the
pellet. The pellet is designed to dissolve in the feral cat’s stomach and
deliver a rapid dose of a humane toxin, which simply sends the biggest killer
of our native wildlife to sleep.
The Curiosity bait for feral cats uses a new toxin called
para-aminopropiophenone, or PAPP, which is considered best-practice world-wide
and is analogous to putting the animal into a sleep from which they do not wake
up. The RSPCA considers this to be humane.
The conservation battle is never finally won; the development battle is.
e^(πί)+1=0
> On 21 Feb 2015, at 4:15 pm, <>
> <> wrote:
>
> I don’t know what virus they are working on or why because there already is
> one to hand. Feline Enteritis Without vaccination, which most domestic cats
> are, it kills cats very quickly. However there is no point in injecting a
> cat with FE and turning it loose to infect other cats if it turns up its
> claws in 48 hours. You have got vaccinate it first, wait until it is fully
> immune, THEN give it a hefty dose of FE and turn it loose in the outback. To
> make sure it is ‘found’ by feral cats a dose of the appropriate hormone
> (oestrogen or progesterone) would help and as an extra precaution spey or tie
> the spermatic cords. One female seemingly on heat would attract males from
> miles around and vice versa.
> David Robertson
>
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