Federal Govt declares war on feral cats

The government, which says about 1,800 species are now under threat, pledges to carry out the program humanely.

Hunt unveiled the five-year plan at a Melbourne zoo Thursday, vowing to protect Australia’s native mammal and bird populations. “Safe havens” will also be created for the most risk-prone species. But since European settlement, in just over 200 years, over 130 of Australia’s known species have become extinct, lost to us and to the world forever.

Mr Grover said the need for targeted conservation funding is critical, noting that no species has been removed from the government’s threatened species list through its recovery actions but many have been added.

Speaking to a national radio station, Gregory Andrews, the country’s first threatened-species commissioner, said Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt “is declaring war on feral cats, and he’s asked me to take charge of that program”.

‘The Threatened Species Summit is an opportunity to explore solutions and discuss practical ways to halt Australia’s wildlife crisis at a time when our threatened species are under more pressure than ever before, ‘ he said. Culling methods will include baiting, shooting or poisoning. Feral cats are domestic cats, and their descendents, that have returned to a wild state, living in Australia’s expansive bushland. Over 120 Australian animals are at risk of extinction from feral cats.

“It is very important to emphasise that we don’t hate cats”.