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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 34(6)

Increasing the target-specificity of ERADICAT® for feral cat (Felis catus) control by encapsulating a toxicant

Cheryl A. Hetherington A , David Algar B C , Harriet Mills A and Roberta Bencini A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

B The Department of Environment and Conservation, PO Box 51, Wanneroo, WA 6065, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: dave.algar@de.wa.gov.au

Wildlife Research 34(6) 467-471 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR06140
Submitted: 19 October 2006  Accepted: 17 August 2007   Published: 2 November 2007

Abstract

ERADICAT®, a sausage-type meat bait, has been developed for use in managing feral cat (Felis catus) populations throughout Western Australia. However, concern about potential exposure of non-target species to bait-delivered toxicants has led to the development of a technique to more specifically target feral cats using a pellet. Research into the consumption, by cats and native animals, of toxic pellets implanted within the ERADICAT® bait has been simulated using ball bearings as a substitute pellet. Results from our work indicate that encapsulating the toxicant may pose less risk of poisoning to chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii), woylies (Bettongia pencillata) and southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus) as they consumed significantly fewer ball bearings (P = 0.003, <0.001, <0.001) than semi-feral cats (P = 0.07). Theoretically, a toxic pellet will not reduce the effectiveness of the ERADICAT® bait as there was no significant difference between consumption of baits and the consumption of ball bearings in feral cats (P = 0.07). Therefore, baits containing a toxic pellet have the potential to be a more selective method to control feral cats.


Acknowledgements

We thank DEC’s Science Division staff – John Angus, Mike Onus and Neil Hamilton from the Wildlife Research Centre and DEC’s Regional Services staff from Collie and Kirup who participated in the field work and provided the equipment. All experiments were approved by The University of Western Australia Animal Ethics Committee (RA/3/100/345) and the Department of Environment and Conservation Animal Ethics Committee (2004/06).


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