Housecats are destroying New Zealand's natural habitat! They are an invasive species and a threat to indigenous wildlife! At least that's what Gareth Morgan says, the man behind a radical cat eradication campaign in New Zealand. But as Anthony asks, is removing felines the answer? And what might happen once they're gone?Good luck with that.
Science News has a more general view of the situation in Cats kill more than one billion birds each year.
New estimate suggests hunting felines take bigger bite than expected out of wildlife
By Susan Milius
Web edition: January 29, 2013
Domestic cats kill many more wild birds in the United States than scientists thought, according to a new analysis. Cats may rank as the biggest immediate danger that living around people brings to wildlife, researchers say.I don't care. I'm still keeping my indoor-outdoor cats in an urban setting. Here, they're catching animals that are not endangered and could become pests. On the other hand, cats in Pacific Islands like the Hawaiian Islands or New Zealand might not be as beneficial.
America’s cats, including housecats that adventure outdoors and feral cats, kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds in a year, says Peter Marra of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., who led the team that performed the analysis. Previous estimates of bird kills have varied, he says, but “500 million is a number that has been thrown around a lot.”
For wild mammals, the annual toll lies between 6.9 billion and 20.7 billion, Marra and his colleagues report along with the bird numbers January 29 in Nature Communications. The majority of these doomed mammals and birds fall into the jaws of cats that live outdoors full-time with or without food supplements from people.
You do realise that mammals, with the exception of perhaps bats were almost entirely missing from NZ before humans arrived, therefore the ecological roles of rodents were taken by often flightless birds adapted to that task. Enter cats! Start massacre...
ReplyDeleteIf all birds had round faces and big wide baby eyes and cries that sound like that of a baby you might find yourself in a dilemma, which symbolic baby would you choose then?
If cats did not pull those emotional strings we would have about as much attachment to them as we do to the rodents you despise.
Unless you are not cleaning up the food scraps from the floor or otherwise have poor food storage methods, you will not be facing much in the way of rodent infestation.
Then there is the environmental impact of all the pet food.
I don't dispute the science behind your comment, but you should be aware of something. I live in Detroit. Save that rant for a blogger from New Zealand.
DeleteIt's not the cats fault, its their nature. The biggest threat the earth has ever faced is us, humans. Think about it! Destroying animal habitats, poluting water that they may drink and swim in, killing them for food and fun. Why can't we all become one, if humans didn't destroy animals, think how peaceful it will be! Don't forget, us humans are the biggest threat! It's a true fact! You know it, I know it!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, and yes, I do know. You're also more reasonable than the other commenter on this entry. Thank you.
DeleteNo probs, but it is true!
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DeleteI forgot to add it to my main comment. And no I'm not watching you like a hawk!
DeleteIf you want to know how to contact my blogs its, Rocket Roo Roos blogspot! Enjoy the rest of your evening! :)
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the link.
DeleteRocket Roo Roo's blog
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ReplyDeleteMy link works. Also, congratulations. Thanks to you, this is now the most commented upon entry in the history of this blog.
DeleteUr welcome! Good night to all!
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