Australia's bold move: Hunters and AI combat feral cats

Up to five million animals. That's the daily number of victims—mammals, reptiles, birds—caused by feral house cats in Australia. These four-legged serial killers face the threat of being shot.

Australia is declaring war on cats. Although it sounds absurd, the issue is serious. Feral house cats kill an estimated 1.5 billion animals annually in Australia, according to the Department of Environment and National Heritage of New South Wales.

The authorities in New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia, have appointed a team of five hunters to tackle the problem of these small predators. The group will scour national parks in search of feral cats to control their numbers.

Cats were brought to Australia by Europeans over 200 years ago. Since then, they have contributed to the extinction of at least 25 native Australian animal species. The past few years have presented exceptionally favourable conditions for cats to breed uncontrollably. Completely eradicating these pests is impossible, but keeping their population as low as possible is essential for native wildlife to thrive.

The appointment of a wild cat hunting group is unprecedented in Australian history, highlighting the seriousness with which officials are addressing the matter. Estimates indicate there are about 6.3 million feral cats roaming Australia. Hunters will target these animals for two years in national parks, and if successful, the program could expand to other areas of the country.

Expert marksmen are not the only method being employed to combat feral cats. Many parks have deployed camera traps to identify areas that the four-legged predators particularly favour. Technologies utilizing artificial intelligence have also been enlisted in the war against the cat population. One such device is called the "Felixer". How does it work? The AI software recognizes a cat and then shoots a toxic gel at it. The cat licks itself, thereby ingesting a lethal dose of poison and dying. The manufacturer guarantees 99.5% effectiveness of this device.