World-leading plan to eradicate feral cats from Kangaroo Island

KANGAROO Island aims to be the world’s largest island free of feral cats as environment officers launch phase two of a groundbreaking project to eradicate some 5000 feline pests.

Kangaroo Island plans to eradicate its feral cats.

KANGAROO Island aims to be the world’s largest island free of feral cats as environment officers launch phase two of a groundbreaking project to eradicate some 5000 feline pests.

Fencing of 15,000ha of the island starts next month before state-of-the-art trapping and monitoring work begins to remove the first 500 cats from Dudley Peninsula.

Project leader Damian Miley said research during the past 18 months showed an estimated 5000 feral cats were killing vast numbers of threatened native birds and mammals on the island plus costing farmers an estimated $2m annually as they spread disease among sheep.

The resulting Feral Cat Eradication Program data was used to create a plan to first clear Dudley Peninsula using the best new scientific and humane techniques, so the work could then be extended across the entire island.

“Feral cat work is being done throughout the world but pretty badly,” State Environment and Water Department regional leader Mr Miley said.

“We decided to trial a whole bunch of new technology where we can do it more easily in an island environment and then we can share it throughout the world.”

During phase one of the project, vital, baseline data was collected involving fitting 33 feral cats with radio collars to trace their movements.

Recording cameras were also installed throughout Dudley Peninsula to record feral cat kills and their range, 207 cats were euthanased, gut contents examined and various traps and baits were trialled.

Environment Minister David Speirs said the findings were used to plan the next 18 month stage of the project using toxic Felixer grooming traps to target an estimated 0.52 cats per km2 on Dudley Peninsula.

“Departmental staff will place and operate the grooming traps, working alongside landholders and volunteers who will be involved in data monitoring and analysis,” Mr Speirs said.

“Feral cats on the peninsula will be contained within a cat-proof fence which will be installed in coming months.”

The specially designed fence would stretch into the ocean and a lagoon over four landholders properties to establish control over 15,000 hectares.

Work was also underway to win funding for a parallel project to train a community driven detector dog strike force, with Mr Miley saying it followed the successful use of specially trained dogs to effectively lead officers to feral cats during the monitoring project.