# Feral Animals conference



## herptrader (Jun 13, 2008)

*Savannah Cats / Feral Animals conference*

There was an item on the ABC's AM radio program this morning about the Feral animals conference in Darwin relating to the possibility of larger cats becoming feral and wiping out what the larger marsupials that have thus far survived being wiped out by the current feral cats that we are plagued with now.

I went looking for a link. There are plenty about the conference but I could not find any about the cats that I heard about on the radio.

eg:

http://www.abcon.biz/vertebrate.html
http://www.feral.org.au/content/policy/VPC.cfm


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## herptrader (Jun 13, 2008)

Here it is. Savannah cats - exactly what Australia does not need!!

http://feral.typepad.com/


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## herptrader (Jun 13, 2008)

This is the particularly worrying bit:



> Apparently our biosecurity system never anticipated people developing hybrid wild-domestic crosses. So this breed is allowed to come in as a "domestic" cat breed. No formal consultation necessary with experts like those on the inter-government Vertebrate Pests Committee.
> We need a rethink here. I don't think these cats should be allowed into the country. They are apparently twice the size of normal domestics and can leap two metres in a bound. Those are genetic traits we don't want entering our feral population.


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## cris (Jun 13, 2008)

Not good, is there anyway of finding out who is bringing them in so we can sue them if they escape?


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## Hsut77 (Jun 13, 2008)

Scary Stuff!

http://savannahcats.com.au/

They sell whole animals (breeding) only to registred breeders. Whoopy do. Should not be here!
Maybe they will let us import African Rock Pythons when we need to contol our feral Serval population in 20 years.


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## tfor2 (Jun 13, 2008)

I seen an article in my local paper a couple of months ago (gold coast bulletin) which from memory showed a local couple who had paid thousands of dollars for one of these type cats and was awaiting its arrival. The first thing i thought about was the fact that most people (i say most, cause there are some responsible cat owners out there) often become complaisant about the cats after a while and allow them to roam the streets attacking wildlife, innerbreeding with other cats, leaving us with more feral hybrid cats.. If thats the right word... 
Anyway you see my point.
I even have a friend of a friend with more money than brains who was telling us that she indeed is on the list to get something similar (feral cat as far as im concerned) and she lives in a semi rural area abundant with wildlife..... Wonder for how long?


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## herptrader (Jun 13, 2008)

cris said:


> everyone call them up, 1-5am would be the most suitable time
> 0419 219 646



Which equates to...

Glenn and Carly Parker


56 Paradise Island Surfers Paradise 4217
(07) 5538 5208
QLD BN BN20126815


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## cris (Jun 13, 2008)

I had a talk with them here is their side of the arguement.

Apparently selling them to registered breeders means they will never be able to escape or get into the hands of irresponsible owners. They are not responsible if they escape as a result of another breeders actions.

The presence of other wild cats and wild cat hybrids(there are a number already here) also makes it not as bad somehow. Also since these havnt escaped and started breeding with wild populations yet it is quite obvious that they wont in the future as more and more ppl get them.

They claim to be trying to get stronger legislation restricting cat breeding etc. (about the only good thing)

They claim to do more for conservation than ___wit proffesors, because they claim to have rehabilitated a number of abundant native species such as brushtails and grey roos(virtually irrelevant to conservation).


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## justbrad (Jun 13, 2008)

*i'll just say that i hate cats.* kevin bloody wilson has a good song about what to do with them... cant they make a virus like the calicy to wipe them out?


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## RedEyeGirl (Jun 13, 2008)

LOL............very good for cats..........bad results for our animals
RedEyeGirl


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## Tatelina (Jun 13, 2008)

Fan-bloody-tastic!
Last thing we need!!

Argh. Makes me angry.

As if they are going to JUST sell them to registered breeders... where are they going to make all of their money from if breeders ONLY see to other registered breeders?
And so what if they are registered? All it takes is an application form.
:evil:


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## Zdogs (Jun 14, 2008)

I don't particularly love or hate cats, but this Is madness 
Are people so bored that they need to tamper with nature in this way :x
Humans are just never happy, which will always make them the lesser species!


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## zulu (Jun 14, 2008)

*re Feral*

Yeh the cats are a worry herptrader,i cant figure out how my brothers burmese could catch sugar gliders so easy,he had a pole house in wollongong and at the back verandah was big tree trunks real close. I onley ever saw a brief glimpse of one moving like geased lightning up the tree,but the cat caught them all,it was a house cat with a bell which was useless.


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## xycom (Jun 14, 2008)

Is there really any hope for Australias unique environment? With everything we've done to it so far and what little of it remains. People won't stop until it's completely gone and there's no more money to be made from it!

This really takes the cake!

Is there anything that can be done to stop it? Maybe we need to start a petition to stop these things. I'm sure all the wildlife shelters and carers in the country who continually rehabilitate cat injured animals will sign.


Some facts about cats:
http://www.snakerescue.com.au/index.php?link=cats



Per


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## herptrader (Jun 14, 2008)

Here is their email address: [email protected]

I think I might drop them a line.


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## Reptile_Boy (Jun 14, 2008)

bad for animals good for us in some ways: ANOTHER THING TO HUNT


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## xycom (Jun 14, 2008)

Who has the authority to stop these things from coming in? Maybe we should be ringing them?


Per


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## herptrader (Jun 14, 2008)

xycom said:


> Who has the authority to stop these things from coming in? Maybe we should be ringing them?
> 
> 
> Per



I was thinking about this and came up with this guy:

http://www.labor.com.au/people/nsw/garrett_peter.php

*Minister for Environment, Heritage and The Arts*







*Parliament House*

Suite MG 40
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel02) 6277 7640
Fax02) 6273 6101
Email:Email Peter

*Electorate Office*

806 – 812 Anzac Pde
MAROUBRA NSW
Tel02) 9349 6007
Fax02) 9349 8089
*
Postal Address:*

PO BOX 249
MAROUBRA NSW 2035
Web:http://www.petergarrett.com.au/


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## Bob2 (Jun 14, 2008)

Sort of off topic, driving home after a trip to Darwin yesterday, we saw this thing running across the highway about 100ks out of town. For a second my partner and I both thought it was a dingo as it was the same size as an adult dingo, but it moved differently, like a cat. It stopped after it got off the road so we got a reasonable look at it and it would have been the biggest cat I have ever seen. We were a bit spun out at the size of it. About 10 minutes after seeing this, there was a story came on the ABC radio about the savanah cats. We thought it was a sign that maybe we should put a big bet on the basketball lol. 
It worries me that if formerly domestic cats can get to that size, the size these savanah cats could potentially get to if we ended up with a feral population of them.
I would hope that the keeping of them would be regulated. 
Stacey


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## Hetty (Jun 14, 2008)

I don't think emailing them is the way to go. They can just delete an email without reading it. I think they're less likely to hang up, however, they have their own agenda and will bring them in anyway. They obviously don't think much of conservation.

Maybe Peter Garrett or the D.E.C.C. is the way to go.


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## dunno103 (Jun 14, 2008)

I think we as responsible people should trap any of these that we find and if this means harpooning it with a crossbow and rope, then so be it. Once trapped the animal should be destroyed and incinerated, collar (if any) taken many kms away and placed in a public rubish bin.

if you disagree with me then* #$%& OFF out of Australia now*!!!


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## cement (Jun 22, 2008)

Cats, cats, cats.
This is becoming a major topic here. It just shows how much knowledge of the damage that cats do, justify's the actions of people who get rid of them.
As far as I am concerned, cat lovers don't have an arguement that justify's the keeping of cats. I have read some comments from the lovers here and none make any sense. The reason is that the reality of the situation cannot be glossed over with clever written words.
The ultimate truth though, as disturbing as it is, is that cat breeding and owning has been entrenched in Aus and there are many more cat people than real aussies.
I know its deemed unkind and cruel to kill your neighbours pet, but if its on private property (and lets face it, if a cats not at home its hunting) and that said property owner has pet rats and mice and birds, then who is to say that the cat is not trespassing and therefore for the safety of the rats and birds, that cat shall be dealt with.
Just like a dog raiding sheep farms. Or a fox raiding chooks.
Flame away cat lovers, threaten me with the RSPCA by laws, cover me with your invalid cat keeping arguments........................ just don't let your cat be caught on my property. (which could mean, don't let it out at all, cause you don't know where I live!)


Ps. I take life seriously, and I am a spiritual person so of course it is done with compassion and humanely.


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## thals (Jun 22, 2008)

s'if we need more probs here with our eco-system, very worrying indeed!


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## krusty (Jun 22, 2008)

i dont care what any of yous think but if they bring them in to australia i would get one but it would depend on the cost,as i'm a big cat lover and bigger the cat the better....jmo.


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## Earthling (Jun 22, 2008)

dunno103 said:


> I think we as responsible people should trap any of these that we find and if this means harpooning it with a crossbow and rope, then so be it. Once trapped the animal should be destroyed and incinerated, collar (if any) taken many kms away and placed in a public rubish bin.
> 
> if you disagree with me then* #$%& OFF out of Australia now*!!!


 
I disagree with you and Im not leaving.....................


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## RedEyeGirl (Jun 22, 2008)

it makes me so angry..... ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!


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