Kangaroo Island's dunnarts were hit hard by bushfires. Now feral cats threaten them with extinction
ABCKangaroo Island's endangered dunnarts took a huge hit after the Black Summer bushfires tore through 98 per cent of their habitat. Key points: Eight per cent of trapped cats had endangered dunnarts in their stomach contents Almost all the dunnarts' habitat was hit by bushfires New technology makes wiping out Kangaroo Island's feral cats a possibility A study of the stomach contents of cats trapped on the island in the months following the fires found the remains of eight dunnarts from the 86 cats sampled, according to a study published in Scientific Reports today. "We know enough about feral cats and native mammals across Australia that any interaction they have is probably not going to be a positive one." Mr Smith's operation had already removed cats from about 65 per cent of the Dudley Peninsula in the island's east, and he said they're on track to clear the entire 384 square-kilometre peninsula by 2025. But that's not an issue for Kangaroo Island, where Mr Smith estimates public support to be up around 99 per cent in favour of getting rid of feral cats.
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