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klingklang77
kraftwerk!
Member since 7/06 11489 total posts
Name:
Völlig losgelöst
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Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Thoughts?
I think TNR would be better...
http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20938985,00.html?xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag
On Thursday, the Australian Federal Government announced a very new kind of war – one against cats.
Gregory Andrews, the country's Threatened Species Commissioner, claims that feral cats are the "single biggest threat" to Australia's mammals.
"Of the 29 mammals that we've lost to extinction, feral cats are implicated in 28 out of those 29 extinctions," Andrews told an Australian radio program of the new initiative. "It has been a problem that's been neglected. So feral cats have spread across our country over the last 200 years."
At the Melbourne Zoo on Thursday, Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt unveiled the five-year plan, which is aimed at protecting the country's native bird and mammal populations, many faced with imminent extinction.
The government funding of the program, which has cat lovers distraught, will largely go toward killing Australia's feral cats, whether by baiting, shooting or poisoning, with steps taken to ensure the process is carried out in a "humane and effective" manner.
"We are drawing a line in the sand today which says, 'On our watch, in our time, no more species extinction,' " Hunt said.
Message edited 7/21/2015 9:18:04 AM.
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Posted 7/21/15 9:17 AM  |
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sunnyplus3
:)
Member since 11/05 8749 total posts
Name:
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Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
this is horrific!!!!
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| Posted 7/21/15 9:33 AM |
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CallaLily
Thank you, Saint Gerard!
Member since 10/07 4937 total posts
Name:
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Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Absolutely disgusting and barbaric!
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| Posted 7/22/15 12:29 AM |
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Katareen
5,000 Posts!
Member since 4/10 7180 total posts
Name:
Katherine
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Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
While I don't agree with the way they're going about it, I can see where they're coming from. So far 28 other mammals are EXTINCT due to feral cats, so I'm sure it's having a huge negative impact on their ecosystem.
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| Posted 7/22/15 7:30 AM |
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LI-Joy
Member since 10/07 2910 total posts
Name:
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
This is horrible.  I'm never going there!
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| Posted 7/22/15 8:15 AM |
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Bearcat
Love my little girls!!! <3
Member since 6/10 10818 total posts
Name:
E
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
There has to be a better way. Disgusting.
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| Posted 7/22/15 10:03 AM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
While not a pretty topic, it's definitely something that Australia needs to address, and quickly. Trap, Neuter, Release won't work. The cost would be outrageous, it would take every vet they have (and some from other countries) every minute they have to neuter 2 million+ cats, the injuries to those trapping them would have to be dealt with, not all cats would survive the anesthesia and surgery, where to keep all of the cats during recovery, and finally, when they get released, they will still hunt all of the 120+ endangered species that are mentioned.
They can't catch and adopt out 2 million+ feral cats, since feral cats aren't domesticated and would need homes that could deal with feral animals.
Hindsight is 20/20, and it should have been dealt with when they first realized they had feral cats, and not when they were overrun.
This type of thing happens all the time when a foreign species is dumped into an environment. Japanese Carp in the Great Lakes, bamboo and kudzu in the US, etc.
I don't like seeing the slaughter of 2 million cats, but I also don't want to see 150 species go extinct, slaughtered by the feral cats. There is no "good" solution in this matter, just which option is the least "not good".....
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| Posted 7/22/15 11:10 AM |
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kahlua716
3 Girls for Me!
Member since 8/07 12475 total posts
Name:
Keri
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by Katareen
While I don't agree with the way they're going about it, I can see where they're coming from. So far 28 other mammals are EXTINCT due to feral cats, so I'm sure it's having a huge negative impact on their ecosystem.
I agree.
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| Posted 7/22/15 11:16 AM |
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klingklang77
kraftwerk!
Member since 7/06 11489 total posts
Name:
Völlig losgelöst
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
I've read a few things that point to invasive biology not being as bad as it is thought to be. But I don't have an official source for this; it was just something I read somewhere.
I also found this article:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/04/07/4203004.htm
Message edited 7/22/2015 12:43:44 PM.
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| Posted 7/22/15 12:30 PM |
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Teachergal
We made a snowman!
Member since 1/08 3239 total posts
Name:
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by GoldenRod
While not a pretty topic, it's definitely something that Australia needs to address, and quickly. Trap, Neuter, Release won't work. The cost would be outrageous, it would take every vet they have (and some from other countries) every minute they have to neuter 2 million+ cats, the injuries to those trapping them would have to be dealt with, not all cats would survive the anesthesia and surgery, where to keep all of the cats during recovery, and finally, when they get released, they will still hunt all of the 120+ endangered species that are mentioned.
They can't catch and adopt out 2 million+ feral cats, since feral cats aren't domesticated and would need homes that could deal with feral animals.
Hindsight is 20/20, and it should have been dealt with when they first realized they had feral cats, and not when they were overrun.
This type of thing happens all the time when a foreign species is dumped into an environment. Japanese Carp in the Great Lakes, bamboo and kudzu in the US, etc.
I don't like seeing the slaughter of 2 million cats, but I also don't want to see 150 species go extinct, slaughtered by the feral cats. There is no "good" solution in this matter, just which option is the least "not good".....
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| Posted 7/22/15 1:04 PM |
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TheLorax
LOVE
Member since 2/06 5581 total posts
Name:
Suzanne / SuzBride
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Horrifying. I just can't handle the thought of that many cats being killed, but at the same time I am sympathetic to their desire to save native flora and fauna. It is very sad how many native species have gone extinct due to the introduction of non-natives. The statistics in both Australia and New Zealand are staggering. I agree with Goldenrod, both options are not pretty.
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| Posted 7/22/15 2:27 PM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by GoldenRod
While not a pretty topic, it's definitely something that Australia needs to address, and quickly. Trap, Neuter, Release won't work. The cost would be outrageous, it would take every vet they have (and some from other countries) every minute they have to neuter 2 million+ cats, the injuries to those trapping them would have to be dealt with, not all cats would survive the anesthesia and surgery, where to keep all of the cats during recovery, and finally, when they get released, they will still hunt all of the 120+ endangered species that are mentioned.
They can't catch and adopt out 2 million+ feral cats, since feral cats aren't domesticated and would need homes that could deal with feral animals.
Hindsight is 20/20, and it should have been dealt with when they first realized they had feral cats, and not when they were overrun.
This type of thing happens all the time when a foreign species is dumped into an environment. Japanese Carp in the Great Lakes, bamboo and kudzu in the US, etc.
I don't like seeing the slaughter of 2 million cats, but I also don't want to see 150 species go extinct, slaughtered by the feral cats. There is no "good" solution in this matter, just which option is the least "not good".....
I agree with this.
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| Posted 7/22/15 4:35 PM |
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
This plan is revolting.
If nature has decided to elevate one species over another, perhaps we should let it take its course. Isn't the goal to preserve nature in its most natural form?
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| Posted 7/27/15 3:35 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by oldtimerocknroll
This plan is revolting.
If nature has decided to elevate one species over another, perhaps we should let it take its course. Isn't the goal to preserve nature in its most natural form?
It's not nature, though. Feral cats didn't swim to Australia on their own. Humans brought them over, and there are no natural predators for them (or not enough, since Australia is full of deadly creatures). This is an invasive species which nature can't handle. This is not the only place that invasive species have destroyed ecosystems because nature hasn't had time to adapt everyone.
It's also revolting to allow 150 species to be decimated by these cats.
Message edited 7/27/2015 4:01:21 PM.
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| Posted 7/27/15 4:00 PM |
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klingklang77
kraftwerk!
Member since 7/06 11489 total posts
Name:
Völlig losgelöst
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by GoldenRod
This is an invasive species which nature can't handle. This is not the only place that invasive species have destroyed ecosystems because nature hasn't had time to adapt everyone.
Nature can't handle us. We are invasive.
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| Posted 7/27/15 4:05 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by klingklang77
Posted by GoldenRod
This is an invasive species which nature can't handle. This is not the only place that invasive species have destroyed ecosystems because nature hasn't had time to adapt everyone.
Nature can't handle us. We are invasive.
Unfortunately, very true...
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| Posted 7/27/15 4:28 PM |
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wakemeup
Member since 10/13 1397 total posts
Name:
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by Katareen
While I don't agree with the way they're going about it, I can see where they're coming from. So far 28 other mammals are EXTINCT due to feral cats, so I'm sure it's having a huge negative impact on their ecosystem.
I agree with this. And there is no one to blame but the public who allow unneutered and unspayed domestic cats to go outside.
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| Posted 7/27/15 5:48 PM |
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wakemeup
Member since 10/13 1397 total posts
Name:
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by GoldenRod
Posted by oldtimerocknroll
This plan is revolting.
If nature has decided to elevate one species over another, perhaps we should let it take its course. Isn't the goal to preserve nature in its most natural form?
It's not nature, though. Feral cats didn't swim to Australia on their own. Humans brought them over, and there are no natural predators for them (or not enough, since Australia is full of deadly creatures). This is an invasive species which nature can't handle. This is not the only place that invasive species have destroyed ecosystems because nature hasn't had time to adapt everyone.
It's also revolting to allow 150 species to be decimated by these cats.
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| Posted 7/27/15 5:49 PM |
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by GoldenRod
Posted by oldtimerocknroll
This plan is revolting.
If nature has decided to elevate one species over another, perhaps we should let it take its course. Isn't the goal to preserve nature in its most natural form?
It's not nature, though. Feral cats didn't swim to Australia on their own. Humans brought them over, and there are no natural predators for them (or not enough, since Australia is full of deadly creatures). This is an invasive species which nature can't handle. This is not the only place that invasive species have destroyed ecosystems because nature hasn't had time to adapt everyone.
It's also revolting to allow 150 species to be decimated by these cats.
Species originally non-native to an area can eventually grow to be considered of that area. What about people of European descent living in America? Manifold examples exist.
I'm not much of a debater on these boards since things often grow vicious, so I probably won't comment again; I did just want to raise that point though.
Message edited 7/27/2015 6:16:05 PM.
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| Posted 7/27/15 6:14 PM |
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PitterPatter11
Baby Boy is Here!
Member since 5/11 7635 total posts
Name:
Momma <3
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by GoldenRod
Hindsight is 20/20, and it should have been dealt with when they first realized they had feral cats, and not when they were overrun.
This type of thing happens all the time when a foreign species is dumped into an environment. Japanese Carp in the Great Lakes, bamboo and kudzu in the US, etc.
I don't like seeing the slaughter of 2 million cats, but I also don't want to see 150 species go extinct, slaughtered by the feral cats. There is no "good" solution in this matter, just which option is the least "not good".....
This. Invasive species destroy entire ecosystems by decreasing ecological stability and biodiversity. They don't really have any other options. The cats have no natural predators there so there's nothing to keep their population under control.
Other ones in the U.S. include the zebra mussel and snakehead fish.
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| Posted 7/27/15 8:33 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Australia plans to kill 2m feral cats
Posted by oldtimerocknroll
Posted by GoldenRod
Posted by oldtimerocknroll
This plan is revolting.
If nature has decided to elevate one species over another, perhaps we should let it take its course. Isn't the goal to preserve nature in its most natural form?
It's not nature, though. Feral cats didn't swim to Australia on their own. Humans brought them over, and there are no natural predators for them (or not enough, since Australia is full of deadly creatures). This is an invasive species which nature can't handle. This is not the only place that invasive species have destroyed ecosystems because nature hasn't had time to adapt everyone.
It's also revolting to allow 150 species to be decimated by these cats.
Species originally non-native to an area can eventually grow to be considered of that area. What about people of European descent living in America? Manifold examples exist.
I'm not much of a debater on these boards since things often grow vicious, so I probably won't comment again; I did just want to raise that point though.
True, but it's the difference between modern food and GMO food. All food we eat is technically genetically modified, but evolution causes minor changes, and other things are able to adapt to the minor changes, whereas humans have forced GMO changes.
Invasive species are forced into an area that doesn't have time to adapt to it. Typically, a new species will slowly encroach on a new area. Isolated islands are unique in that way. Obviously all of the animals on Australia, Hawaii, Galapagos, etc. came from somewhere, but it was by nature, and the environment has adapted to deal with them. Invasive species, as far as I know, are more than 99% the cause of human intervention.
Hopefully this topic won't go downhill.
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| Posted 7/28/15 7:42 AM |
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