New Zealand: More and more cats, fewer and fewer birds
WLA pest that is difficult to combat. In New Zealand, bird conservation has turned into a real struggle due to a number of invasive species causing bird populations to decline. In addition to “classic” predators such as rats and opossums, New Zealand authorities are facing an invasion of even more domestic animals: cats. according to Wellington StuffAnd 41% of New Zealand households have a domestic cat. Added to this are the millions of feral cats whose spread is out of control and uncontrollable.
The first victims of this pest are birds, including the precious kiwi, the quintessential symbol of New Zealand. according to Watchman, Friday, April 8, Wildcats (and some pet cats sure slither from them) are responsible for the deaths of at least 1.12 million birds each year. Because of this, some bird species are threatened with extinction.
No more pests by 2050?
This problem is not new because one of the most important extinctions dates back to the end of the 19th century.And century. The last flying bird of Stephens Island was killed by a lighthouse keeper cat in 1894. The extinct species was renamed Lyall wrens, named after the lighthouse keeper.
Read alsoMore than 150,000 species of animals and plants have disappeared since 1500
But recently, associations and conservation societies have begun to think of solutions to prevent wild cats from breeding and killing more and more birds. In 2016, a radical bill was put on the table: that everything be done to ensure the eradication of pests (rats and wild cats) from the archipelago by 2050. But cat lovers have lumps.
So far, no concrete solution has been developed. But the SPCA, the National Animal Protection Association, is campaigning to regulate the sterilization of domestic cats.
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