In a new action plan it unveiled today, the federal government will work to stop any further species from becoming extinct or becoming endangered as a result of feral cats.
The draught plan, which has since been made available for public comment, outlines a number of goals, some of which include stopping the proliferation of feral cats and lowering their density in locations where people congregate.
While direct predation is the biggest impact cats have on other animals, they can also compete for food and raise the risk of some diseases.
According to Tanya Plibersek, the environment minister, feral cats kill an estimated two billion animals annually, or six million per night.
A man is holding a cat-shaped model with a trap door in front of it.
One of the main reasons Australia is known as the mammal extinction capital of the world is because they contributed to Australia’s two most recent extinctions, according to Ms. Plibersek.
In addition to the plan, the government will invest millions of dollars to try to get rid of cats on French Island, which is close to Melbourne, and Christmas Island.
A safer feral cat bait will also receive $400,000 to be used in northern Australia.
Photographers are capturing images of a woman holding a snake while wearing an orange jacket.
Our native species won’t have a chance if we don’t take action right away, Ms. Plibersek warned.
Invasive species have been highlighted as Australia’s main source of biodiversity loss in a recent UN assessment.
The precise number of feral cats varies depending on the habitat, but the habitat Department put the number between 1.4 million and 5.6 million.
An image of a cat holding a bandicoot in its mouth was obtained by a night vision camera.
According to the draught plan, Australia “has one of the most robust estimates for the size of the cat population of any country in the world.”
However, it added that there is still work to be done to ensure that control mechanisms are more uniform across jurisdictions, in part because local governments frequently manage pet cats.
The resultant patchwork of laws is difficult to enforce and confusing to the general population.
Up until mid-December, the draught plan is subject to public comment.
