A Chinese restaurant in a town I used to live in got in trouble with the health authorities AND the game warden ... they were luring wild ducks bowls of grain, and serving them up ...
Posted on 05/16/2023 1:45:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Organizers of a New Zealand hunting contest are pawing their way out of controversy after canceling an event that would have seen children 14 and under compete to kill the most feral cats.
The North Canterbury Hunting Competition is open to both kids and adults, and aims to manage invasive species and raise money for local causes — specifically, a school and pool in the rural village of Rotherham.
Last year, more than 250 children killed 427 animals, mostly possums, hares and rabbits, according to The Guardian.
Organizers added a new category this year, announcing in a since-deleted Friday Facebook post that whoever could kill the most feral cats between mid-April and late June would win the equivalent of $155. And they warned that anyone who produced a microchipped cat — meaning one that belonged to someone — would have their entire entry disqualified.
That prompted an immediate outcry from animal rights groups like SAFE, who pointed out that feral cats don't necessarily look different from strays and pets. Worried that house cats would suffer, they called on organizers to cancel the category.
"Disqualifying dead cats with microchips is too little too late," said SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe. "It's not even an ambulance, but a grave at the bottom of the cliff."
The competition changed course on Tuesday.
"Our sponsors and school safety are our main priority, so the decision has been made to withdraw this category for this year to avoid further backlash at this time," organizers wrote on Facebook. "We are disappointed and apologise for those who were excited to be involved in something that is about protecting [our] native birds, and other vulnerable species."
That post received a mix of supportive and disapproving reactions, with some reiterating the threat that feral cats pose and others arguing there are better ways to respond to it.
The contest didn't actually break any laws, as the Canterbury chapter of the New Zealand SPCA noted on Facebook, adding that it was still "extremely concerned." Event organizers stressed that all hunters are required to abide by the country's firearm and animal welfare acts.
They added that the school and others involved had gotten "vile & inappropriate emails and messages," and stressed that the hunting competition is run independently by volunteers and for an important cause.
"This fundraising effort is critical in aiding the local school to employ a board funded third teacher and gives our local community and kids greater opportunities," organizers wrote.
The rest of the categories will continue as planned the weekend of June 23.
Feral cats are wreaking havoc on wildlife There's no question that feral cats are harmful to New Zealand's native species.
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New Zealand's Department of Conservation says feral cats — defined as those that live in the wild and have none of their needs provided for by humans — are widespread throughout the country.
There could be as many as 2.5 million, which is about double the number of domestic cats in the country, according to conservation organization Forest & Bird. A pest controller told the news outlet Stuff last year that feral cats were at "plague" levels in Canterbury.
New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern takes on a new role after leaving politics this week MAIN CHARACTER OF THE DAY New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern takes on a new role after leaving politics this week Feral cats can grow larger than house cats in the right conditions but don't tend to live as long. They're similar in appearance to typical tabby, tortoiseshell and black house cats, authorities add.
Their diet depends on their habitat, and they can live anywhere from coastal areas and sub-alpine environments to forests, farmland and islands. They feed on rabbits, birds and bird eggs, rats, hares, bats, lizards, mice and other insects, which officials say has a "major impact."
For instance, feral cats have reduced Grand and Otago skink populations to critically low levels in the Central Otago district and decimated populations of endangered kakī/black stilt, wrybill and black-fronted terns in the central South Island.
The Killer At Home: House Cats Have More Impact On Local Wildlife Than Wild Predators SCIENCE The Killer At Home: House Cats Have More Impact On Local Wildlife Than Wild Predators Helen Blackie, a biosecurity consultant who studied feral cats for two decades, told Radio New Zealand that they were responsible for killing up to 100 million birds across the country every year. Feral cats also carry toxoplasmosis, a common cause of contagious abortion in sheep.
"Historically, we know that feral cats were responsible for the extinction of six bird species and are leading agents of decline in populations of birds, bats, frogs and lizards," Blackie said.
The question is, what should be done about it?
Animal rights groups want to see them handled humanely The hunting category controversy has highlighted the debate over how best to handle pest control in New Zealand.
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The SPCA was one of the groups that opposed the event, saying there was a good chance someone's pet could be killed.
It noted that children often use air rifles in these events, which increases the likelihood of an animal's suffering and prolonged death.
In Florida, an invasive snail is helping save an endangered bird NATIONAL In Florida, an invasive snail is helping save an endangered bird "SPCA advocates that, instead of organised killing events, education around humane and compassionate practices can better prepare young people to appreciate and protect the biological heritage of New Zealand," the organization said.
Without a national effort to reduce the feral cat population, regional councils can only introduce piecemeal local measures and the Conservation Department can act only on public conservation land, according to charitable trust Predator Free New Zealand.
New Zealand does have "Predator Free 2050," a federal plan to eliminate its most pressing predators: rats, stoats and possums. There are calls for cats to be added to that plan, a politically contentious issue.
Call The Pied Piper: New Zealand Wants To Get Rid Of Its Rats. All Of Them THE TWO-WAY Call The Pied Piper: New Zealand Wants To Get Rid Of Its Rats. All Of Them Some advocates, including Forest & Bird, are calling on the government to establish a national Cat Management Act for owners that would, among other things, make desexing and microchipping mandatory and institute a limit of three cats per household.
Appelbe, the SAFE spokesperson, tweeted that cat management strategies that "actually work" include "trap, neuter, release," "mandatory microchip, registering, desexing" and adopting instead of shopping for pets.
He added that there are other ways to raise money for the Rotherham school and pool, "and sending children off to kill cats shouldn't be one of them."
“And I saw the great value of feral cats on a farm.”
You’re confusing barn cats with feral cats. Barn cats keep our barns relatively free of mice.
In short we have three categories of cats around here:
1. House cats which are pets. We’ve had a few over the years. They do not go outside.
2. Barn cats which are NOT pets. But they have the sense to leave the chickens, baby chicks, and other birds alone. Otherwise they get classed as feral and their days here become few.
3. Feral cats or abandoned cats. They show up and fight with our barn cats, get shot, and then get fed to our hogs being recycled into bacon.
If you're a cat lover too, then keep them inside your house where they belong unless you live on a farm away from civilization where they perform a service in eliminating barn rats and such.
I have no sympathy for cat owners who complain their outside cat got ran over or poisoned or other such demise.
My cats have had outside back deck territory only and they know it.
> Rat terriers will kill far more rats than cats do. <
I don’t doubt that. But I’ve never seen a rat terrier deployed on any of my relatives’ farms. It’s always feral cats. Maybe that’s because a cat is more self-sufficient than a dog.
Also, my relatives also kept geese. I never saw a cat attack a goose. Would a rat terrier attack a goose?
God gave them the ability to fly, and when in trouble they don't.
I adopted a feral cat. It took a long time to get her to settle down and let me approach her. She will never be really tame, but might be my most affectionate cat now. She has completely bonded to me, and loves to be held. She never goes out.
My cat owner has been hunting feral wabbits
Barn cat vs. feral cat. Interesting. I never noticed the distinction. But I don’t doubt you for a second. I was just a kid when I spent time on a farm. I spent more time thinking about going fishing than watching the cats!
My own farm cats kill 3 or 4 times as many rabbits as they do birds. And probably 20 times as many small rodents (mice and voles).
Where I live in the eastern USA, cats and the ground-nesting birds they are so often accused of destroying were in ecological balance until coyotes arrived. Thus I think it fair to say that it was coyotes that wiped out the pheasant and quail populations in my time, not cats.
Cat-killers will burn in Hell, if there is any justice in the world.
Admirable idea but their numbers are astronomical and predation will continue as long as they are alive.
Kinda like saying don't shoot wild pigs, coyotes and deer, just tranquilize and neuter them and all will be ok.........
Probably but not enough of them.
CCI Stingers are best for rats but I’m sure there is a fascist lockdown against that in NZ.
They massacre songbirds.
A Chinese restaurant in a town I used to live in got in trouble with the health authorities AND the game warden ... they were luring wild ducks bowls of grain, and serving them up ...
Wild pigs unfortunately are a threat to habitats and destroying more than just other animals ability to live, they are destroying farm land. I live in a state in the USA that has a major feral pig problem.
Deer hunting in every state is closely regulated with specific seasons, not indiscriminately killing of Deer and Deer are not Domesticated animals, never have been. Deer do carry diseases that (i.e. Lime Disease) that are dangerous to humans.
https://pestsmart.org.au/toolkit-resource/impact-of-feral-cats-in-australia/
It’ll be fine. What could possibly go wrong?
Capture them and spay and neuter them.
= = =
Then they can join the LGBT+++ victim class.
Ad hominem tangential argument that shows a low IQ and inability to discuss civilly the question at hand.
Those types of tactics by right-center/Conservatives is not different than used by the Far-left/secular progressives.
Rather than debate the subject, attack the person.
Ronald Reagan in his day sat down with Tip O’Neil, the MA Dem and speaker of the House at breakfast every morning and discussed agenda items. They did not always agree and never attacked the person, but debated agenda items on the merit.
While this has been totally lost in the far left, it seems it is becoming more and more lost on the Right in general and here at Free Republic
“Well there is a reason for the term “bird brain”. God gave them the ability to fly, and when in trouble they don’t.”
Thus we pivot back to why killing feral cats is so necessary in New Zealand where cats have obliterated the native and flightless ground bird populations.
Here in Michigan, there are over 60,000 deer/auto accidents every year with most of them occurring here in S.E. Michigan where deer inhabit small forested areas among subdivisions where hunting is prohibited.
In fact, if you would like some fresh venison, there is a dead deer that was hit by a car at the entrance of my sub yesterday. Come and get it......
But I digress, what is your point? What is your solution to the rat infestation in New York? Trap and sterilize and release?
New Zealand does not have snakes though.
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