New Zealand cat hunt narrowly cancelled

DrIn the country where wild cats and pets that have gone wild are a disaster for New Zealand wildlife, an organization has decided to hold an open cat hunting competition for children under 14 years of age. The decision is more than surprising, especially for animal rights associations and residents who have not hesitated to speak out to stop this initiative. The organizers eventually canceled the event after an outcry. However, the competition’s other competitions are preserved.

Initially, this competition was to be held until the end of June. The young men’s goal was to catch and kill cats in hopes of winning first prize: a check for NZ$250, or roughly €141. The same winner can hope to win a second prize of €2,601.

Stray cats are a growing phenomenon in New Zealand

The New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was “both pleased and relieved that the children’s category for shooting stray cats has been removed,” according to AFP. For the association, it is not the idea of ​​seeing children killed by animals that has caused trouble. But the greater the danger for cat owners, because young adults and adults “cannot tell the difference between a stray cat, a stray kitten, or a frightened domestic cat,” says a spokesperson for the animal protection organization.

Read alsoCats: why do we love them so much? However, all camps agree on the problem with street cats. According to the local authorities, the The number of animals that roam the alleys of New Zealand is in the millions. The main victims of this phenomenon are birds. Keas, the small parrots that live only in New Zealand, have seen their population decline by nearly 80% in ten years.

Defense agencies want to assign the task of eradication to experienced people, who use certified humane methods to reduce the number of feral cats.

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