Cats Poisoned in Hope of Saving Endangered Western Ground Parrots
Poisonous baits are being dropped by plane in two national parks in West Australia in order to kill off feral cats preying on the Western Ground Parrot.
The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) says the western ground parrot is one of Australia’s most critically endangered species, with fewer than 140 of the birds known to be alive.
In an attempt to fend off the rapid decline, the DEC have begun trialling cat baits in the Fitzgerald River National Park and Cape Arid National Park on WA’s south coast.
The two parks are the only places where the parrots still survive.
DEC ecologist Sarah Comer thinks that the feral cats are the major factor in the parrot’s decline. She also said that the effectiveness of the baits would be closely watched.
“The first batch of Eradicat baits were dropped by plane in the Fitzgerald River National Park in mid April, with more bait drops following over the past few weeks,” Ms Comer said.
“A number of cats are being radio-tracked, and it is hoped we will get clear evidence of mortality following the baiting.”
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Right or Wrong Thing to do?
Now what do you think about that? Of course it’s good to make sure that the parrots don’t die but what about the cats??
Why is it okay to go killing the wild cats just because the parrots are dying out (which might also be our fault too)?
Do YOU think it’s right to do so? What is more important to let live, the parrots or the cats?
Comment below,
Greetings,
Camille
I think it’s wrong to kill the cats, no one knows why/what is causing the deaths of the parrots, the feral cats should be trapped/spayed/neutered & returned so that there is not an overpopulation of them
HUMAN habitat destruction, poisoning of the environment, and overpopulation are what is killing species in record numbers. SO ANGRY that once again, cats are being murdered as scapegoats. A country which produced a great activist such as Steve Irwin should educate its citizenry that all species are interconnected, and that it is human folly, not members of other species, that is at the root of all the destruction. PROTECT ALL CATS!!!
this is ridiculous killing one animal to save another!!!!! i’m outraged if the ground parrot population is depleting then capture some and make a safe habitat and try breeding them to increase they’re numbers
@sandy: that’s right! i completely agree with you sandy!
Poisoning is a horrible, cruel way of dealing with this situation! It’s no fault of the cats, it’s because humans have not taken care of their pets and abandoned them, not spayed/neutered them ect… Trap these cats if their sick or injured put them to sleep in a humane manner, the rest shoiuld be spayed & neutered and returned!
I agree with jmuhj…
It’s all human’s fault!!!
They just blame other creature because of what they have done!!!
And they don’t even realize it!!!
Really2 annoying human!!!
GRRRR…… >:(
this is sick what they are doing to those cats. Have they forgot cats are made to to eat birds. its part of nature.
What I can to tell !!!! Grrrrr about dirty humans !!!
erm… I have to go against the grain with you people here! I’m a crazy cat lady and definitely love cats more than any other animal – you will never meet anyone who will fight for the plight of cats! BUT SERIOUSLY!!! what are you people smoking? they are talking about FERAL cats – yes, feral cats have been caused by humans neglecting them – but still this is about protecting a native species – and as much as you all try to blame other causes for their decline IT IS ACTUALLY 99.99% MOST LIKELY THE FERALS CATS! duh!!! cats are an introduced species, and like many other introduced species they are wiping out native species! NOT COOL!!! duh! Spaying and returning ferals cats is not going to stop an endangered species being wiped-out. Feral cats give all cats a bad name… and for the record I was attacked by a feral cat once for no reason, it just launched at me, I got scratched & clawed and got VERY VERY VERY ILL!!! ferals carry a lot of diseases! would you want a feral cat attacked one of your cats/dogs/other pets? it would kill them!
@kitty: Well, i guess that you are right in a sense that the cats were introduced by humans. I feel sorry for the birds too, but what about the cats? just killing them off won’t solve a long term issue and anyway, it’s very, very cruel! if they must kill them, then instead of flying about in airplanes, why not just shoot them to sleep with a sleeping bullet and have them sleep forever that way its quick, painless and not so cruel to the poor animals!! After all, poison kills them of slowly and in a PAINFUL way too!
That’s what I would do if I had to kill some cats off. I would do it the NICE MERCIFUL way!
Don’t you agree with me Kitty?
Oh poor cats… there are many dangerous species on this planet, harmful to any one but we try to protect them with all the resources we have. Then i must say this is really wrong what the African team had done. I am worried and feeling pain for those poor cats they are innocent, this is in their nature to kill any thing to survive like us!
Have you ever heard about the killing of polo bear or leopards etc.
We all try to protect them, then why this is happening with these cats :(
they will all die :( :( :(
:(
I don’t see why you have taken action so fast for BIRDS when a few of the tigers are already extinct. Also, if you neuter cats to control their population, I don’t see why you can’t control HUMAN population. LEAVE THE REST OF NATURE FOR THE ANIMALS!
Humans eat chicken. They are MADE to be eating chicks. Cats don’t poison YOU because you stole their prey, so what right do you have to poison them???
I’m agree with you, Tiffany!!!
Those humans don’t even realize their fault!!!
We must all normal people to protect nature and animals !
we must with all peole normals protect nature and animals