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Environmental group Friends of Okura Bush (FOOB) is seeing a worrying number of domestic cats in live catch traps.
In 10 months, 13 cats, (five of which were pets, not feral cats), have been caught in areas that include private property behind Karepiro Beach and the rare Cheneir formation at Stillwater – both areas are important ecological sites and home to endemic and migratory shorebirds such as Pateke, or brown teal, NZ dotterels, banded rail and bar-tailed godwits.
Brown teal/pateke are usually found in pest proof sanctuaries but have bred on the Stillwater Chenier in recent years. This breeding season the pair were sitting on a nest but haven’t been seen in recent weeks. Members of FOOB fear cats may be the cause.
Live trapping requires volunteers to check the cage every day, for the animal’s welfare. When a cat is caught, it is carried out, and taken to the closest vet to be checked for a microchip.
Of the domestic cats trapped recently whose owners were located via microchip, all were from homes in Stillwater.
FOOB is calling for cat owners living close to these biodiverse areas to contain their cats between dusk and dawn, and hopes for future legislation regarding responsible cat ownership.
