Re: [CH] cat-shooters
Tony Flynn (tony@nzol.net.nz)
Mon, 4 Jun 2001 12:08:31 +1200
----- Original Message -----
From: "Luke Speer" <lukasz@midcoast.com.au>
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 1:17 AM
Subject: Re: [CH] cat-shooters
> Here in Oz
> Cats in the open are considered Feral animals, there have been moves
mooted
> to Register the little suckers .
> But the Cat huggers have slowed the momentum ..
> We have had lots of problems with Cats killing our native wildlife
> (small Marsupials).( Native Birds etc....
Hi All
I didn't want to carry this thread on, but it seems to have divided our
normally happy family.I have to agree with Luke that feral cats are an
ecological menace. Here as in Australia feral cats do enormous damage to
wildlife that developed without any predators like cats.
When I drove 12,000 km from Sydney to Perth last year I saw a lot of cats
way out beyond any habitation. If you see them as you drive through imagine
how many there are in the bush causing untold damage.
Here in NZ I see numbers of cats in the bush along with stoats who's are
probably more destructive. The Wildlife officers fight a non-stop war on
the introduced pests. The flightless Kiwi is fighting a losing battle for
survival on the mainland. With the only real successes being on offshore
islands which really blossom as the bush and birdlife regenerate where there
are no cats rats dogs possums deer and goats. Also the biggest pest of
,human access to these islands is restricted.. One such Island near me which
I can see from my deck has seen an almost miraculous transformation in the
past few years since being administered by the Department of Conservation.
Sorry if this is a bit off topic but the point I am trying to make is that
uncontrolled animals can be more than just a nuisance.
Even among your Chile patch. There I got the magic word in :-)
Tony Flynn
Grandad. Retired at the beach. Bay of Plenty. New Zealand