Feral Cats on Kangaroo Island: Invasive Threat to Unique Wildlife

Yes, feral cats are present on Kangaroo Island (South Australia) and pose a severe threat to its endemic fauna.

History & Scale

• Introduced early 1800s by sealers/settlers.
• Estimated 3,000–5,000 cats (pre-2020 bushfires); density among highest globally.
• 2019–20 fires reduced numbers but also concentrated survivors in unburnt refuges with vulnerable prey.

Impacts

• Direct Predation: Critically endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart (marsupial mouse), glossy black-cockatoo (subspecies halmaturinus), southern brown bandicoot, Kangaroo Island echidna.
• Competition: Outcompete native predators (e.g., heath goanna, Rosenberg's goanna).
• Disease: Toxoplasmosis transmission to native mammals and sheep.

Eradication Efforts

Kangaroo Island is a priority site for Australia's Threatened Species Strategy. Programs include:

• Detecting dogs, camera traps, thermal shooting.
• Curiosity® baits (PAPP toxin—more target-specific).
• Exclosure fencing for dunnart/cockatoo habitat.
• Community engagement: mandatory cat registration, containment, desexing.

Goal: Complete eradication by 2030. Success would be a global first for an island this size (4,405 km²).