ACTION ALERT: Australians Invent New Ways to Kill Feral Cats
Maggie Funkhouser
was announced that “Victorian animal scientists have developed the
world's first poison pill, designed specifically to kill cats. It's
hoped the pill will bring the feral cat population under control.
Environmental groups say it will save native fauna and flora and it
has the support of at least some animal welfare groups.”
According to the broadcast, the toxic pill has been designed
specifically for cats and it will not harm other animals. Gerry
Maynes, from the Environment Australia Centre, says “The way it
operates is that the chemical affects oxygen transport through the
hemoglobin in the blood, and effectively what happens is that the cat
goes to sleep and doesn't wake up.” Mr. Maynes also states that the
pill is humane and its use is supported by animal welfare groups.
Gerry Maynes says, “…In developing this we've kept groups like the
RSPCA Australia, and the Australian and New Zealand Federation of
Animals Societies aware of what's happening. Dr Hugh Worth from the
RSPCA's had a look at some of the experimental work and his concern as
you indicated earlier, that this material not be made freely available
to irresponsible people. But, on the basis of the work so far, he is
satisfied that it would appear to be a humane control method.”
Just recently, in an article appearing in The Sydney Morning Herald,
“New traps that attract cats using sound and light, and then squirt
them with poison, will soon be tested in South Australia's Kangaroo
Island, the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre said on its
website.”
"This is a tunnel that emits a... sound and bright features that
attract cats to it," said Professor Steven Lapidge. "It requires them
to walk through a tunnel and if they set off certain sensors in a
certain configuration, then it detects the shape of the animal. If it
is a cat then it will deliver a short spray onto its belly of a toxic
substance that puts them to sleep."
According to the article, “The [Invasive Animals Cooperative Research]
Centre believes Australia may have more than 18 million feral cats
descended from escaped domestic pets, which kill native wildlife and
are hard to control using conventional poisons.” Australia also is
trying to control feral populations of pigs, rabbits, foxes, and even
camels, via lethal means.
ACR is urging our members to contact the Australian Ambassador and
tell him to look at the US and European countries for examples of
humane methods of controlling feral cat populations. Explain to Mr.
Beazley that killing cats is not a long-term solution to such a
complex situation. Tell him TNR programs should be utilized instead of
using toxic pills and poison traps.
Contact Information:
The Honorable Kim Beazley
Australian Embassy
1601 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 797-3000
Fax: (202) 797 3168
What else you can do? Visit The Petition Site and sign ACR's
petition to Mr. Beazley urging him to stop the inhumane killing of
feral cats in Australia.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stop-australia-from-killing-feral-cats
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