Efforts to restore lost wildlife and eradicate feral cats from the Bass Strait island lungtalanana have been given a boost with the arrival of four cat grooming traps.
‘This is an important moment for our healthy Country program,’ said Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre land and heritage coordinator Andry Sculthorpe.
‘The arrival of four Felixers on lungtalanana marks the next phase of the restoration program,’ he said.
The Felixers are highly targeted cat grooming traps that use artificial intelligence to distinguish feral cats from other wildlife and humans. Once detected, toxin is then sprayed on the fur of a passing cat, which is consumed when the cat grooms itself.
The Felixers were delivered to the island in recent weeks. They have been set up in testing mode to confirm the recognition of cats before they are fully activated.
The Felixers will complement other methods used for cat control such as baiting and trapping.
‘We’re grateful for the support of the Invasive Species Council who subsidised two Felixers for two years and the in-kind support from Thylation Foundation,’ said Mr Sculthorpe.
‘We are also aiming to repatriate cultural species that belong on the island, so removing cats will assist in this process. Lungtalanana has suffered from a history of invasion that brought feral animals and a persecution of native species. A project like this will offer important training and land learning opportunities for our rangers and community.
‘These efforts by our rangers with the support of scientists will ultimately see the reintroduction of species like the Bass Strait Island wombat, the long-nosed potoroo and the Bennetts wallaby,’ he said.
‘We are extremely pleased to support this important restoration program,’ said Invasive Species Council CEO Andrew Cox.
‘The provision of two Felixers to lungtalanana is part of a program to deploy 10 Felixers across five locations across Australia determined by an expert panel. Other Felixers will be supplied to sites in South Australia and Western Australia.’
Background notes for editors:
Felixers use LiDaR rangefinder sensors to distinguish target cats and foxes from non-target wildlife and humans. They spray targets with a measured dose of toxic 1080 gel. The solar-powered Felixer holds 20 sealed cartridges and automatically resets after firing. Images of all detections and firing events are maintained in a database for monitoring, research and continual improvements. For more info see: thylation.com/fexiler-faqs/Felixers use LiDaR rangefinder sensors to distinguish target cats and foxes from non-target wildlife and humans. They spray targets with a measured dose of toxic 1080 gel. The solar-powered Felixer holds 20 sealed cartridges and automatically resets after firing. Images of all detections and firing events are maintained in a database for monitoring, research and continual improvements. For more info see: thylation.com/fexiler-faqs/