Feral Cat Distribution, Abundance, Management and Impacts on Threatened Species: Collation and Analysis of Data

Feral cat distribution, abundance, management and impacts on threatened species: collation and analysis of data

Project Summary Project 1.1.2

This project is collating data from many different research and monitoring projects on feral cats. This image was caught by a camera trap during monitoring by the Northern Territory Government. Photo: Northern Territory Government

Research in Brief Why is the research How will the research This project will improve our needed? help? understanding of feral cat impacts Introduced predators such as feral cats This research supports the Australian and how to mitigate those and foxes have a severe impact on Government’s Threatened Species impacts. At national scale, it will native species in Australia, particularly Strategy’s priority of tackling feral collate and analyse large and among small and medium-sized cats and their impacts. It will: help diverse sets of data to estimate mammals and ground-dwelling birds. quantify the scale of feral cat impacts cat distribution and abundance, This includes many of the species on native species; identify the and measure predation rates prioritised within the Australian most predator-susceptible species; by cats on birds, reptiles and Government’s Threatened Species calculate rates of feral cat predation mammals, and to identify the Strategy, such as the Northern on these species; and identify sites ecological traits that make some Hopping-mouse, Brush-tailed where control of feral cats (and other species more susceptible to cat Rabbit-rat, Central Rock-rat, Golden introduced predators) will be most predation than others. Bandicoot, Kangaroo Island Dunnart, needed or effective. The project will also collate Mala, Numbat, Western Quoll, Woylie, Malleefowl, Night Parrot and The project will use existing and research findings from other emerging data, including from other related TSR Hub research, for Western Ground Parrot. Recovering these species will rely on knowledge, TSR Hub research, on feral cat example to help identify cat diets and population estimates to density thresholds that would and effective management, of introduced predators. calculate rates of feral cat predation allow vulnerable native species on different groups of native species. to co-exist with cats. The project reports regularly to the The team will compare the rates of National Feral Cat Taskforce, and this predation with patterns of decline reporting will help ensure research for threatened species over time and results are readily communicated to across the landscape. Where data are key managers, and key managers can available these methods will also be help shape the research direction. applied to fox populations. Feral cat with native mouse. Photo: Hugh McGregor

For those native species that are most data custodians) will seek to maintain decline of threatened mammal susceptible at the population level to large integrated databases of feral species over time and in cat predation, we aim to estimate the cat dietary information. different regions threshold cat densities below which • Developing population viability these native species can co-exist What research activities models for a selection of with cats by using population viability are being undertaken? threatened mammals and birds models. We will also undertake cost- which are very susceptible to benefit analysis of available control This project will collate and analyse introduced predators methods for introduced predators, data from many individual studies across Australia, and undertake such as exclusion fencing, poison- • Assessing the costs and additional modelling of the collated baiting, habitat management including effectiveness of different control data in order to undertake a fire, grazing and dingo management. options for reducing numbers nationwide assessment of feral of introduced predators and By combining knowledge of what cats and their impacts. supporting threatened species predator density thresholds are recoveries, across different regions required and the effectiveness The project has already undertaken and environments, and the overall of different control techniques, an analysis to estimate the density cost-effectiveness of the the project will be able to identify and population size of feral cats control options. what kinds of management are the across Australia, and of the number most cost-effective approaches for of birds and of reptiles killed by feral maintaining a particular species in and domestic cats across Australia. Who is involved? the landscape. The findings will be Additional research activities will The project is led by Charles Darwin compiled in evidence-based guidelines include: University, in collaboration with for managers and policy-makers. the University of Queensland. • Comparing the density of foxes, The research team will collaborate The research will also provide a series wild dogs, dingoes and cats with national, state and territory of data integration products including across Australia to help inform agencies and conservation NGOs spatial layers (maps) of the density and prioritise management that undertake introduced predator of feral cats across Australia and of • Estimating the population size control or research to benefit the numbers of birds, reptiles and of Australian birds (and spatial threatened species. mammals killed by feral cats; and variation in this) in order to (subject to approvals from original evaluate the significance of the Where is the research number of birds killed by cats happening?

• Assessing the numbers of The research is national in scale. mammals killed by cats per year and the conservation When is the research consequences of such predation happening? • Investigating the role of This project began in 2016, and introduced predators in the will run until December 2020.

Further Information See the TSR Hub website for publications on this research.

The project has modelled the number of For more information please contact: birds eaten by cats each year, in natural [email protected] or [email protected] environments throughout Australia.

This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Programme.