If in fact the ACT is falling behind a little, It is probably still way ahead of most other places in Australia.
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If in fact the ACT is falling behind a little, It is probably still way ahead of most other places in Australia.
| Term and Conditions | Privacy Statement | Web Support by Gaia Resources Hosted by Serversaurus | |
Ain't that the sad truth, Night Parrot.
It's tragic that while attempts are being made to get as many people as possible on side in relation to all sorts of environmental issues the environment & its native creatures are being destroyed at an ever increasing rate, it seems. Will we be faced with the situation that when we eventually get everybody's support on environmental protection there'll be nothing left to protect?
I'm a great supporter of democracy but on the environment it seems to be failing overall. So far the only answer I have is for people to do what they can to protect their local environment so that in the long run there will be pockets of natural, although vastly compromised, environment from which we might try to restore something of what was lost.
If this bait is widely enough distributed, it will be yet another good reason for cat owners to keep their animals contained.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/30/new-baits-that-appeal-to-feral-cats-could-aid-recovery-of-threatened-species
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/animals/scientists-jon-stanhope-former-greens-push-actwide-cat-lockup-20150331-1mbub9.html?utm_source=Invasive+Animals+CRC+subscriber+list&utm_campaign=8d0dbdff00-Feral+Flyer+issue+269+-+2+April+2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dca65e59c7-8d0dbdff00-82924893
The ACT is leading the way it seems.
I recently visited my relatively new neighbour to inform her that I'd be baiting rabbits & that her pets would be safer if they were confined during the baiting period. Our conversation was certainly politely civil but I was intrigued to hear her say that she's never had to confine her animals before. This seems strange to me when our disappearing widlife is under threat.
We have trail cameras on loan from the Local Land Services because we have found telltale signs of bandicoots in our yard and a local group of bandicoots seemed to have moved from their usual location so they are trying to establish if our nighttime archaeologists are the missing bandicoots or just very delicately pawed rabbits.
By the time the cameras were loaned to us the diggings had stopped.
For weeks we have photographed everything that moves in every corner of our yard and we have a swag of pictures of cats, foxes, rabbits.
Only two days ago did the telltale diggings start up again so we are still hopeful that the bandicoots are visiting us. The cameras have been moved to hopefully capture their pictures.
If it were not for the possibility of neighbours complaining I would gladly do away with the cats, foxes and rabbits myself.
I will be asking the local land services for advice about the ferals. I have just spent hundreds of dollars over four years buying native plants and I have spent lots of time and energy planting them to hopefully provide our five acres to the native birds and animals. It seems a terrible waste to have the ferals invading the space.
So far I have identified nearly 70 species of bird that visit our yard and have photographed 43 of those species. We do get more birds now than we did five years ago but I dare say we would have a good many more if we did not have the feral/stray cats.
I have it on good advice that there would be well over 100 species of bird here.
Would love to see laws all around the country that require all cats to be indoors at night and restrained on the owners property during the night.
Happy Birding!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138588528@N02/
I share your angst, Wollemi. It will be a great day when owning a cat, at least a roaming cat, will be as culturally acceptable as smoking.
Have your say!
http://www.environment.gov.au/mediarelease/your-chance-comment-plan-tackle-feral-cat-threat
Thanks so much, Night Parrot. I've had my say & already the number of cats in my neighbourhood has declined significantly. I wish!
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/tv/Animals/Cat-Crazed-4221831.html
Yikes!!! There was only so much of this clip that I could take. If this is what US urbanization does to humans, not to mention their substitutes for wildlife, then I'm heading for the hills. For what it's worth I'd like to see cats become animalia non grata, the same way that it's become socially unacceptable to smoke.
I like this one
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-21/feral-cats-can-be-controlled/6409352
on post 3 regarding 1080. I like the result, but I have to say I dont like the process. Being eaten from the inside out is something no animal should endure. I think everything has a right to live, or die, but not be abused. Death must me quick, well with in several seconds.
Having treid to trap feral cats on two inland trips to the desert, I can vouch they are fussy eaters. I would use raw chicken, kangaroo, tuna, and various cat foods. Set the trap up well with a funnel approach, camouflage it well, even leave trailers into it. Result 0. Lots of paw prints around it, and sometimes the trailers were gone but dissapointing results.
You see them eating raod kill, but they are either super suspicious, or like the kill, or full of lizards and birds. We noticed one particular cat at a remote watr trough, would sit under it and when the finches landed for a drink, they were taken.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
Yes that is interesting jason and it all makes sense. If they know how to use gender bias genes, I wish they'd just get on and do it.
If the gender bias gene approach is used let's hope there are still lots of wildlife left by the time cats stop reproducing. An all out assault using a variety of methods might hasten the solution to the feral cat problem and improve the chance that there'll still be a decent stock of wildlife surviving.
Yes I think it's time to start writing to local and federal politicians on both sides of politics. Send of some letters off like fire works in the sky. Perhaps, pigs, goats, even foxes could all be looked at. Surely funding for something like this is of national interest, and supported by local activity.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks