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Review of the management of feral animals and their impact on ...

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5.5 Management <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats<br />

Historically, a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> techniques has been used in attempts to c<strong>on</strong>trol <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats,<br />

including shooting, trapping, pois<strong>on</strong> baiting, fumigati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> hunting. Available<br />

methods are generally expensive, labour intensive, require c<strong>on</strong>tinuing <str<strong>on</strong>g>management</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

effort <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> can be effective <strong>on</strong>ly in very limited areas. Eradicati<strong>on</strong> with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />

techniques is currently not possible <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> research into more effective methods is<br />

required. The level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>trol pressure <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats is also generally lower than that<br />

<strong>on</strong> some o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> predators due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fact <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y have little or no <str<strong>on</strong>g>impact</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong><br />

agricultural producti<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Commercial harvesting<br />

Feral cats have been hunted in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir fur, which was mostly exported, but<br />

no skins or furs have been exported since 1988-89 (Ramsay 1994) <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> this practise<br />

has now ceased.<br />

Shooting<br />

Shooting, when carried out humanely, is an acceptable c<strong>on</strong>trol technique, although it<br />

is labour intensive. Recently a code <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> humane destructi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

cats was devloped (Sharp & Saunders 2004). In order to maximise <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

shooting, it needs to be applied for an extended period or timed to take advantage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

opportunities that expose <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats to such c<strong>on</strong>trol acti<strong>on</strong>s, e.g. wet seas<strong>on</strong> flooding.<br />

Newsome et al. (1989) dem<strong>on</strong>strated that prey populati<strong>on</strong> numbers (in this case<br />

rabbits) can be increased significantly in areas where <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> foxes were<br />

systematically removed by spotlight shooting, highlightling <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this<br />

c<strong>on</strong>trol technique in managing endangered species in appropriate habitats.<br />

Recreati<strong>on</strong>al shooters also target <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats; however <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> magnitude <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>impact</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cat or prey populati<strong>on</strong>s is unknown. The South Australian Department <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Envir<strong>on</strong>ment <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Natural Resources uses recreati<strong>on</strong>al hunters to complement o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />

methods <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cat c<strong>on</strong>trol in some areas.<br />

Trapping<br />

Trapping as a c<strong>on</strong>trol method is labour intensive <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> is <strong>on</strong>ly recommended where<br />

eradicati<strong>on</strong> is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> objective, such as <strong>on</strong> isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s, isolated populati<strong>on</strong>s or small reserve<br />

areas. Historically, steel-jawed traps, neck snares <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r trap types have been used<br />

to capture <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats including. The inhumane nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se traps has led to<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> cessati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir use. Instead, more humane s<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>t-jawed traps are are used to<br />

capture live <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> represent a viable opti<strong>on</strong> for c<strong>on</strong>trol. The likelihood <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

lighter n<strong>on</strong>-target species being snared in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se traps can be reduced by appropriately<br />

adjusting <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pan that tensi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> trap. Cage traps are also widely used, but are<br />

generally ineffective for trapping <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats (Envir<strong>on</strong>ment Australia 1999c). To<br />

successfully trap <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lure or attractant chosen is most important. Research<br />

<strong>on</strong> a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lure types is currently being undertaken. Researchers within Australia<br />

are currently examining audio <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> visual attractants that will lure <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> cats to baits.<br />

Bait additives that enhance smell <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> taste are also being evaluated.<br />

95

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