This informative, in-depth saga has played out over 27 years in a South Australian arid zone reserve. The report uncovers shocking new information about the destructive effects of feral cats on our continent’s native wildlife. This review’s conclusions indicate that feral cats are responsible for driving two-thirds of all mammal extinctions since European colonisation directly. This gives them the rank of the second most dangerous threat to biodiversity. The reserve is located 560 kilometers north of Adelaide, adjacent to an operating mine owned by the Australian Commonwealth BHP. Since its inception in 1996, it has provided a rare long-term look at the devastating impact invasive species can have on the ecosystem.
This study was led by research team leader, Dr. Katherine Moseby. She cautioned that it took years, even decades, for some species to flourish in the absence of those invaders. The study underscores the considerable danger feral and domestic cats pose. Collectively, they are responsible for the death of almost two billion native animals a year. Whether or not introduced predators are the major cause of those extinctions, they do quite a lot of damage. Their ecological impact is estimated to be 33 times greater than native predators.
The Struggle Against Invasive Species
This study exemplifies the challenge of eliminating invasive species, such as feral cats. As Dr. Moseby makes clear, intensive predator control is critical for the survival of many native species. She warns that some control methods, baiting for instance, can unintentionally hurt native wildlife.
“When we tend to think of conserving threatened species, we just look at the habitat they’re currently in and we think we need to conserve that,” – Dr. Moseby
The study’s results show that some small mammals started to flourish in the reserve following feral cat removal. In fact, house mouse populations tripled by the second year after eradication efforts were completed. Other species like bettongs further prospered in this fenced utopia.
Dr. Moseby described the remarkable rebound in habitats hospitable to a variety of animal and plant species within the feral-free reserve. This is a promising observation, indicating that by controlling invasive populations, local wildlife can flourish again.
“We saw this expansion of niches of the different species,” – Dr. Moseby
Historical Context and Future Implications
Land originally covered by bilbies Before European settlement, bilbies occupied about three-quarters of Australia. The research provides important baseline information on the kinds of small mammal populations that would have existed before colonial settlers arrived. Recognizing this historical context is imperative for contemporary conservation efforts seeking to restore native wildlife to healthy populations.
Imogen Ebsworth, a PhD researcher engaged in the study, explains why these findings matter.
“Cats have been directly responsible for over 20 extinctions in Australia since colonisation,” – Imogen Ebsworth
Ebsworth emphasizes that the research has provided a clearer picture of how much habitat particular small mammals occupied before invasive species altered their environments.
“We’ve often been having to hypothesise about how much of our landscapes particular little critters occupied,” – Imogen Ebsworth
This study has important implications that extend well past academic curiosity. Instead, it underscores the very real and pressing need for smarter conservation strategies to address the threats to native wildlife presented by feral cats and other invasive species.
The Path Forward for Conservation
Dr. Moseby says we must fight to conserve a wider range of habitats. This strategy would allow animal populations to sustainably rebound as we eradicate feral predators. She highlights the need to address the issue of invasive cats and foxes. Until then, many native species will have a hard time coming back to places where they’ve been pushed extinct.
“It’s important to be protecting a wider variety of habitats so that animals can expand into those once we get cats and foxes under control,” – Dr. Moseby
Their study finds that following precipitation, invasive animal populations can quickly multiply and disperse. Feral cats prevent this natural recovery process by keeping population booms in check.
“So having cats and foxes there is suppressing those booms and preventing those animals from really recolonising over broad areas,” – Dr. Moseby
