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Post by Surroundx on Feb 19, 2015 21:39:03 GMT 10
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Post by molloch on Feb 19, 2015 22:03:50 GMT 10
There is no doubt cats are killing large numbers, easily millions, of small mammals each year. Dingoes do have an effect on the feral cat population though, in two ways. Firstly, they will kill feral cats and kittens if they can catch them. Secondly, cats modify their behaviour when dingoes are around. Instead of focussing on hunting, they are wary of dingoes and their hunting becomes less efficient. These two observations have been backed up with a number of studies recently. Here is one of the papers: euanritchie.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ecosystem-restoration-with-teeth-what-role-for-predators.pdfThere is enough evidence that trials are beginning re-introducing dingoes to some of the National Parks. If successful, its going to become a fight between landholders and conservations as to how far the dingo is reintroduced. I'm hoping they also reintroduce devils in a few places, which should have a similar effect. Cat predation is lower in areas where devils are still living in the wild.
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Post by Surroundx on Feb 19, 2015 23:14:11 GMT 10
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Post by Surroundx on Aug 11, 2015 1:11:53 GMT 10
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Post by Ian Thomas on Aug 13, 2015 13:39:48 GMT 10
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Post by Surroundx on Aug 23, 2015 14:57:11 GMT 10
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Post by dennisw on Aug 23, 2015 17:37:42 GMT 10
Great clip, we can only hope that a lot of people watch it and it results in some successful action being taken.
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Post by DP on Aug 23, 2015 18:22:21 GMT 10
I'm amased that as a ground dweller they have managed to survive the cats. For those non Australian readers, feral cats here are a huge problem, I read an magazine article about 20 years ago by a guy that regularly hunted cats around the Diamantina area in the Channel Country of South West Queensland, it was not uncommon for him to shoot more than 20 cats in a night out. His name escapes me just at the moment, but as a result of him drawing attention to the magnitude of the problem the QLD government sent the army into the area where the endangered Bilbies lived to administer the lead medicine to the cats.
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Post by dennisw on Aug 24, 2015 0:21:05 GMT 10
Not just in the outback there was a "lady" with a mob of cats living in a caravan in one of our local parks. The Ranger moved her on and then had to set traps for the cats she left behind, Irresponsible cat owners have no idea the damage their moggies are doing, we had a neighbour who complained that none of the fairy wrens, wagtails and other small birds that frequented our place could be found on his property. I pointed out that he owned cats while we had a staghound X; those dogs can't differentiate between cats and rabbits and eat them both so the birds were safe in our garden.
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Post by Ian Thomas on Aug 24, 2015 8:43:46 GMT 10
Good point about cats and parrots. Some native fauna can live on the ground and fend off foxes, wild dogs and cats. Those possums sis and me found down in Gippy can do it. There's a Deakin dude wrapping up his thesis on them about now, so we might hear more on that sometime soon.
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