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You think you have a feral cat problem, but you really have a rodent problem that the cats are keeping in check. Conservationists found that out the hard way wh
by HarryHirsch 6y ago
You think you have a feral cat problem, but you really have a rodent problem that the cats are keeping in check. Conservationists found that out the hard way when they removed cats from remote islands to boost bird populations. Then the number of rats and mice exploded until there was nothing left.
- legerdemain 6y agoThe solution to rodent problems in cities is sanitation, not feral cats. Example: don't smear buckets of raw fish guts in the streets, as people in Kedi are shown doing. "Until there was nothing left" sounds dramatic. Can you point me to any wildlife conservation campaigns that introduced cats to control other invasive species? All I can think of are the feral cats on Hawaii, that are described as "among the most harmful invasive species globally".[1] [1] https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/feral-cats/ https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/...
- HarryHirsch 6y agoIt's probably this one: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=6637714&page=1 https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=6637714&page=1 "But the decision to eradicate the felines from Macquarie island allowed the rabbit population to explode and, in turn, destroy much of its fragile vegetation that birds depend on for cover"
- legerdemain 6y agoThank you! That's a fascinating counterexample. In most places the cats are the invaders that eradicate native bird species. I'm curious why the native fauna of Macquarie was more resilient to cats.