Poisonous sausages are being airdropped into the bush to kill feral cats, as the Australian government pushes to kill two million by 2020. It has been estimated that there are between 2.1 and 6.3 million feral cats in Australia. A feral cat is a freely ranging wild-living domestic cat that avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Some feral cats may become more comfortable with people who regularly feed them, but even with long-term attempts at socialization they usually remain fearful. Animal rights groups like Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) has criticized the Australian government for not using methods like sterilization. These cats reportedly kill 377 million birds and 649 million reptiles per year, which makes the soil less fertile and productive.
To potentially solve this problem, pest control experts are adding a highly-restricted poison to sausages made of kangaroo meat, chicken fat and a mix of herbs and spices. "They've got to taste good. They are the cats' last meal," pest controller Shane Morse said. Native animals are immune to the poison as it is found in native plants. The government's threatened species strategy aims to use "best practice feral cat action" across two million hectares and standard cat action across another 10 million hectares.
They also want to eliminate cats from five islands and create 10 mainland exclosures free from feral cats. DXE Organizer Wayne Hsuing said it is "disturbing and ironic" that the government is killing cats since "humans are by far the most invasive species". He suggests "a mass spaying program or stronger sanctions against guardians who abandon their cats in the wild."
Feral cats tend to binge on a range of species including 11 endangered species, such as the Great Desert Skink, of which there are only 4,000 to 10,000 left in the wild. The Great Desert Skink is a large burrowing lizard that can grow up to 44 centimeters long and weigh up to 350 grams. It is nationally listed as a vulnerable species.
Professor of Conversation Biology at Charles Darwin University John Woinarski wrote that predation from feral cats resulted in the extinction of 34 mammal species. Feral cats in Australia kill four times more lizards than American cats. Mr. Woinarski said the loss of lizards would result in the soil becoming less productive. "Australia is distinctive for its natural environment... these are animals that turn over the soil and add fertility to it," Mr. Woinarski said.
