As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday 3 September 2015

Feral cat grooming traps to secure site for rare night parrots

GREG ROBERTS
THE AUSTRALIAN
AUGUST 29, 2015 12:00AM


New traps that kill feral cats with a poisonous spray will operate soon at a southwestern Queensland site that is home to the only known population of the critically endangered night parrot.

Sharpshooters were deployed on the remote property this week and soft-jaw traps were set in an attempt to eradicate several feral cats prowling the area.

The menace of feral cats has emerged as the biggest threat to the survival of the population, with as few as 10 birds at the site on a grazing property southwest of Winton.

The “grooming” traps to be set can detect cats passing within 5m, triggering a spray of deadly gel that is ingested when the animal grooms by licking its fur.

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