The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Toxic goo laser kills Australia’s feral cats
Story by Nick Squires • Thursday

A feral cat feeds on roadkill in the outback of Australia - John Carnemolla/iStockphoto
A feral cat feeds on roadkill in the outback of Australia - John Carnemolla/iStockphoto
© John Carnemolla/iStockphoto
Australian authorities are hunting feral cats with lasers to squirt them with a deadly toxic goo in a radical plan to reduce the population.

Feral cats account for the deaths of millions of native animals in the bush, from rare marsupials such as numbats and bandicoots to reptiles and birds.

They have pushed an estimated 27 species to extinction and are a threat to 100 surviving native species, especially small marsupials and ground-dwelling birds.

The deadly new device uses lasers to identify the profile of a feral cat, so as not to accidentally target a native animal.

The box-shaped machine, called a Felixer Grooming Trap, then squirts the cat with a toxic gel.

The cat licks itself to try to get rid of the sticky substance, in the process ingesting the deadly gel.

Each time the device sprays a squirt of gel, it takes a photograph, so that conservationists can check whether it targeted the right creature.

“In thousands and thousands of tests, it’s been able to correctly identify a feral cat as opposed to a native animal,” said Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s environment minister.

“These feral cats are incredibly devastating on native animals. We need to do something – this is a major increase in our activity. We’re trying to give native species a fighting chance against this voracious predator.”

The solar-powered devices each contain 20 sealed cartridges of toxic gel and automatically reset after firing.

The device can also identify and squirt foxes, which were introduced to Australia by European settlers and have a similarly devastating impact on native wildlife.

They can even be programmed to play a range of sounds designed to attract feral cats and foxes.

They are to be deployed at sites across Western Australia but may be extended to other states and territories, having been given approval by federal authorities.