Forwarding some abstracts about feral cat research from CSIRO Wildlife Research Volume 41(5)

I have no connection with this, other than getting the contents list on an email…….. I have copied the extracts of two of the articles here: Welcome to the latest e-alert for Wildlife Research. This issue includes articles about a diverse range of topics, including: meadow vole populations; behaviour of birds in habitats invaded by buffel grass; invasive stoat populations; effects of culling feral cats; light pollution and flatback turtle hatchlings; habitat use by feral cats; using mark-resight to monitor Canada geese; and the diet of frugivorous bats. To view articles that have been published Online Early before they have been collated into an issue, visit the Journal’s website. Alternatively, subscribe to its RSS feed to be alerted when new articles are published. Effects of low-level culling of feral cats in open populations: a case study from the forests of southern Tasmania Billie T. Lazenby, Nicholas J. Mooney and Christopher R. Dickman Feral cats threaten biodiversity, and are often culled to reduce their impact. The effectiveness of culling is largely unknown in areas where new cats can replace those removed, but by using remote camera technology to identify individuals, we found that low-level culling resulted in an increase in cat numbers and activity. This unexpected result demonstrates the importance of monitoring management actions, and the need for strategic, systematic, and ongoing commitment to managing feral cats if their impact on biodiversity is to be reduced. A critical review of habitat use by feral cats and key directions for future research and management Tim S. Doherty, Andrew J. Bengsen and Robert A. Davis Feral cats have a wide global distribution and are a serious threat to biodiversity; an understanding of their habitat use is essential to reducing their impacts. Our review shows that current knowledge of the factors influencing cat habitat use is poor. Future studies will benefit from employing an experimental approach and collecting data on the relative abundance and activity of prey and other predators. Local knowledge and active monitoring is essential when deciding on control programs.