Feral Cat Hunting Competition Cancelled After Animal Rights Activists Raise Concerns

In this Friday, April 1, 2016 photo, a feral cat hides in a wooded area near a beach parking lot at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, N.Y. The American Bird Conservancy has filed a lawsuit against the New York parks department seeking to have the feral cats removed from Jones Beach because they claim they are a threat to an endangered bird species called the piping plover. AP Photo/Frank Eltman

The addition of a new feral cat category in an annual hunting competition in rural New Zealand has sparked public outrage, prompting organisers to scrap the category.

Organisers of the North Canterbury Hunting Competition expressed their disappointment at the withdrawal, a move they said was made to avoid further backlash.

Under the category, kids under 14 were being offered a cash prize of up to $250 (US$155) for the most feral cat kills.

“We are disappointed and apologise for those who were excited to be involved in something that is about protecting our native birds and other vulnerable species,” they wrote on Facebook.

“To clarify, for all hunting categories, our hunters are required to abide by the firearms act 1983 and future amendments as well as the animal welfare act 1999.”

Animal rights advocate group Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) had expressed concerns that pet cats may be killed by accident given the difficulty in discerning whether a cat was feral, stray, or a pet.

“SPCA is extremely concerned about this,” the group wrote on Facebook.

“In addition, children often use air rifles in these sorts of events, which increases the likelihood of pain and distress and can cause a prolonged death.

“SPCA advocates that, instead of organised killing events, education around humane and compassionate practices can better prepare young people to appreciate and protect the biological heritage of New Zealand.”

A hunter holds his gun during a boar hunt in Pietrosella on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Aug. 15, 2020. Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP via Getty Images

Mat Bailey, an organiser, said the feral cat category was just one of many that aim to encourage kids to get outdoors.

He said the annual competition was a popular community event that raises money for the local school and pool.

“It’s great for the community, gets the kids outside ... gives it a bit more meaning, knowing they’re going to help their school,” Bailey told Stuff news.

Last year’s competition contributed $10,000 of the $50,000 cost of hiring a third teacher for their local school and $10,000 to the local pool.

“This fundraising effort is critical in aiding the local school to employ a board-funded third teacher and gives our local community and kids greater opportunities,” the organisers said.

They were “incredibly disappointed” that some “vile and incredibly inappropriate” messages had been sent to the school, with Bailey revealing that there had been death threats and a threat to burn down the school.

“Activists were targeting the school heavily ... It’s not run by the school, but by local families and farmers,” he said.

The rest of the event will go ahead as planned, with categories including hunting wild pigs, wild deer, and hares.

New Zealand’s Cat Problem

As efficient hunters, cats—both feral and domestic—pose a major risk to New Zealand’s biodiversity, killing up to 100 million birds every year.

New Zealand historically lacked mammal predators, meaning its indigenous species can be easily devastated by the predator.

New Zealand has over 1.1 million pet cats and an estimated 2.5 million feral cats.

Biosecurity consultant Helen Blackie believes the culling of feral cats should only be done by experienced hunters.

“They [cats] are one of our foremost predators in New Zealand, and unfortunately, their numbers seem to be growing exponentially at the moment,” she told Radio New Zealand.

“There are a lot of people, particularly in rural areas, that are struggling with feral cats.”

Blackie said feral cats not only posed an issue for conservation efforts but also for the primary industry due to the diseases that the animals carried. These include toxoplasmosis, which causes abortion in sheep.

Cats Can Cause Huge Damage

Feral cats have already caused the extinction of six bird species in New Zealand, such as the flightless bird Lyall’s wren, and also causes severe damage to the population of bats, lizards, and insects.

The Department of Conservation reported in 2010 that a single cat had killed at least 102 bats within the span of a week.

“This really highlights the impact that cats can have on native wildlife, and I don’t think a lot of people realise what skilled predators cats really are,” said Jess Scrimgeour, a Department of Conservation scientist.

“It’s one thing to suspect predation occurs, another thing entirely to actually witness the damage one cat can do.”

According to an Australian study by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub (pdf), many families are unaware that it is highly likely their pet cats hunted (if they’re not contained 24 hours a day).

Most owners believed their cats didn’t hunt because they never came across evidence of killed animals, but 85 percent of the animals killed by pet cats are never brought home.

“On average, each pet cat that is allowed to roam (even for only part of the day or night) kills 186 reptiles, birds, and mammals per year in Australia,” the report said.

“Collectively, roaming pet cats kill 390 million animals per year in Australia.”