Western Ground Parrots and Feral Cats

I was a tad concerned to read the latest newsletter of Friends of the Western Ground Parrot. The newsletter provides details of work by the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife’s IFRP (Integrated Fauna Recovery Project) team concerning feral cats in the coastal south-west of WA. The team has collared and released 30 feral cats prior to the 2015 autumn cat-baiting program. The idea is to gather research material which may assist future management plans to control feral cats with baits. As the team puts it: “By collaring cats and releasing them, we are given a direct indication of how many ‘take the bait’.”  For instance, analysis of data from collars may provide insights into knowing how cats use different types of habitats and landforms, which could allow for improvements to baiting strategies. What bothers me, however, is that some of the cats were released back into Cape Arid National Park. Cape Arid is almost certainly the only site remaining where the Western Ground Parrot survives, in perilously small numbers. The merits of collaring and releasing feral cats may be debated, but was it necessary to release them back into the only place where the birds remain? The newsletter can be found here:  HTTP://TINYURL.COM/KD2COLQ Greg Robertsninderry@westnet.com.auhttp://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com/