New Zealand has announced that it will completely eradicate the feral cats that roam its forests and bush by 2050. The announcement has triggered strong criticism in the country. When a similar initiative was proposed about a decade ago, it also met fierce opposition from environmentalists.

New Zealand's Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced on Friday (21 November) that feral cats would be added to the country's "Predator-Free 2050" strategy. It is the first time a new predator has been added to the list since the strategy was launched in 2016.

Feral cats have already been trapped and killed in some parts of the country. Once they are listed, eradication operations against the animal will be carried out on a large scale. A more detailed plan is due to be published in March 2026.

There are reported to be more than 2.5 million feral cats in New Zealand's forests and on its coastal islands. Including the tail, they can grow to nearly a metre long and weigh up to 7 kg. They have pushed native wildlife towards extinction, in particular the pukunui (southern dotterel) on Rakiura Stewart Island, and are killing bats near Ruapehu.

Potaka said that to boost biodiversity, protect the country's natural heritage and secure the environment "we want", some of these killers had to be eliminated.

The decision to cull feral cats is the result of years of campaigning, although public opinion has been sharply divided in the past. Environmentalist Gareth Morgan faced widespread criticism when he launched the Cats to Go campaign in 2013. When a competition was organised for children to shoot feral cats, animal rights groups strongly opposed it. The Department of Conservation says, however, that 90 per cent of the feedback received on the new draft strategy supported controlling feral cats or adding them to the list.

The report is based on The Guardian.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.