In Australia, ‘Cats Are Just Catastrophic’
Feral cats take a heavy toll on the world’s wildlife, especially Down Under. The solution? Smarter traps, survival training for prey species, and the “Felixer.”
Feral cats take a heavy toll on the world’s wildlife, especially Down Under. The solution? Smarter traps, survival training for prey species, and the “Felixer.”
Frank Bernhardt, a pest control contractor for Arid Recovery, rode through the desert night in an all-terrain vehicle, searching for cats, in Arid Recovery in Roxby Downs Station, South Australia. Credit...
This story is part of a series on wildlife conservation in Australia, which Emily Anthes reported from New York and Australia, with Chang W. Lee.
Katherine Moseby wanted to be clear: She does not hate cats. “They’re a wily beast,” she said, as her truck rumbled down a desert road. “But I respect them. They’re pretty incredible animals. Amazing hunters. Very smart.”
That was precisely the problem, said Dr. Moseby, the principal scientist and co-founder of Arid Recovery, a conservation nonprofit and wildlife reserve in South Australia. Cats are not native to Australia, but they have invaded nearly every corner of the country. She gestured out the window at the dusty, red expanse, which bore few signs of life. But feral cats were absolutely out there, Dr. Moseby said, and they had a taste for the tiny, threatened marsupials that lived at Arid Recovery.
