New Zealand moves to eradicate feral cats by 2050

International

NEW Zealand has unveiled a landmark plan to eradicate feral cats by 2050, marking a major shift in its nationwide effort to protect vulnerable native species.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka confirmed the development in an interview with Radio New Zealand, calling feral cats “stone cold killers” that pose a severe threat to the country’s biodiversity.

Feral cats were previously excluded from the Predator Free 2050 list, which targets destructive invasive species such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats, and possums.

Potaka’s announcement represents a policy reversal prompted by growing concern over the escalating impact of feral cats on wildlife.

He emphasized that these animals live independently from humans and “kill to survive,” making them a top-level predator in forests, farmlands, and coastal habitats, a report by CNN stated.

The government is exploring several eradication methods, including poisoned sausage baits and tree-mounted devices designed to spray fast-acting toxins on cats that trigger the sensors.

Potaka said such measures are necessary to restore ecological balance, noting that native birds, lizards, bats and insects have suffered severe declines due to predation.

In a statement released Friday, Potaka said New Zealanders consistently express their desire to see their local reserves and beaches “full of birds, not predators.”

He cited data showing that feral cats are now widespread across Aotearoa, intensifying pressure on native species already vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change.

Officials also highlighted alarming incidents, including the killing of more than 100 short-tailed bats by feral cats in just one week near Ohakune.

They also linked the predators to the near-extinction of the southern dotterel on Stewart Island.

Beyond ecological damage, Potaka noted that feral cats spread toxoplasmosis, a parasite harmful to dolphins, dangerous to humans, and costly to farmers due to livestock losses.

Public sentiment appears strongly in favor of action. More than 90 percent of the nearly 3,400 submissions gathered during a recent consultation supported stricter feral cat management.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)