Compassionate conservationists believe no animal should be killed in the name of conservation. This idea is a death knell for Australia’s native species.
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Articles on Feral cats
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Small mammals in northern Australia have been rapidly vanishing for the last 30 years, and scientists weren’t sure why. Now, a major new study found feral livestock are largely to blame.
The Kangaroo Island dunnart was listed as critically endangered before fires ripped through 95% of its habitat. Those that survived the fires now face the threat of feral cats.
If long-nosed potoroos can co-exist with one of the world’s most deadly predators, then it’s time we rethink our conservation strategies.
Roaming pet cats kill 390 million animals per year in Australia. Most of the animals are native to Australia.
Ownerless cats may find it harder to find food scraps with restaurants closed during the coronavirus crisis. Given social distancing rules, is it okay to go outside to feed them?
Introduced species are often targeted for culling in conservation, but killing charismatic animals like foxes can be controversial.
Wildlife can smell and hear a fire coming, and have developed novel ways to evade it. But they must watch out for cunning predators rushing in for a feed.
Cats have lived around dogs for tens of thousands of years. So using dingoes to control feral cats will not protect our wildlife.
Cats are wreaking havoc on Australia’s ecosystems and non-lethal methods aren’t enough.
A new exhibition and book urging us to eat invasive species are beautiful but come across as little more than an exquisitely designed elitist spectacle.
Dingoes help conservation efforts by controlling the population of feral cats.
The plan to kill 2 million feral cats nationwide by 2020 makes for good headlines. But it’s also a simplistic goal that won’t necessarily deliver conservation benefits to native species.
A new study involving leaving animal carcasses strewn across Tasmania shows that in places where devils have dwindled, other scavengers are stepping up to fill the gap, with nasty knock-on effects.
The average Australian feral cat kills 225 reptiles a year, which adds up to 596 million in total, according to a new estimate. Pet cats, meanwhile, kill a further 53 million.
For the first time, researchers have estimated the toll taken by feral and pet cats on Australia’s bird life - and the numbers are high enough to push several species towards extinction.
Top contributors
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Professor of Conservation Biology, Charles Darwin University
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Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Australian National University
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Jaana Dielenberg is a Friend of The Conversation.
University Fellow, Charles Darwin University
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Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Professor, Charles Darwin University
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Professor Emeritus in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney
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Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sydney
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Project Officer, School of Earth and Environmental Science, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney
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Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
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Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University
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Associate Lecturer, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide
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Adjunct Research Associate, Charles Darwin University
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Professor, Murdoch University
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Associate Professor in Biological Sciences, Murdoch University
