Conservation Corner
With
Fiachra Kearney
What cats do…….
Queensland
has approximately 1.5 million feral cats. While one of the goals of H&C is
to shoot feral cats whenever
we can, and activate control programs if we are
helping out in conservation projects, our job is made all the
more difficult
by domestic cats. Cat owners may have a million reasons why their cat doesn’t kill wildlife, but extensive
research in
conjunction with cat owners has shown even the fattest, most well fed feline
will still kill, even if it’s just
skinks around the house. Native birds,
mammals, reptiles, frogs, insects and fish are all killed by domestic cats,
with
estimates of up to 1 million native animals destroyed annually by domestic
cats.
H&C
Queensland is currently undertaking the difficult task of eliminating cats
from a property near Emerald, where the
cats are a direct threat to the
Bridled Nailtail Wallaby. The wallabies are the size of a small rabbit once
they leave the
pouch, and are an ideal target for cats. Cats on this property,
as well as in other areas, should remain prime targets
for projectiles from
the rifles of H&C members! As many house cats turn feral, next time your
mate is calling for
his/her cat to come for dinner, just remind them they are
making our job more difficult.
The
Native ‘Cat’
The
native cat, or Quoll as they are more correctly called, is found in a number
of different habitats around Australia.
They are of course not related to cats
at all, but are unique Australian marsupials. There are four species, the most
common being the Northern Quoll, which will undoubtedly be familiar to members
in the north of the State, although
they are found in Central Qld too.
Although many people remove them from their roofs, they are often unaware they
are removing a major predator of large spiders and insects, small mammals such
as mice and possibly the occasional
small snake. The Northern Quoll is the
smallest but most aggressive of the quoll species, and has suffered
significant
declines throughout its range. It is predated upon by feral cats
and dogs as well as by native predators.
In
South East Queensland the Spot-tailed Quoll is a threatened species, and every
care must be taken to ensure
its survival. They may occur on SSAA properties,
and H&C will be running surveys in an attempt to ascertain if this
is so.
A large animal (males up to 7kg), the presence of this species on SSAA
properties would provide H&C with a
significant amount of work, both in
feral animal control and a range of other measures.
The
Western Quoll, another species, is now presumed extinct in Queensland.