CATS' DEPREDATIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 122, 26 May 1942, Page 6

CATS' DEPREDATIONS

BIRD LIFE DEPLETED LACK OF ACTION CRITICISED (0.C.) INVICROARGILL, Monday. The heavy toll which cats have taken of the bird life on Herekopare Island, off Halfmoon Hay. was described by Mr. L. 1". Richdale, of Dunedin, who is visiting Invercargill after spending 10 days on the island. He said five varieties of birds had disappeared entirer.v from Herekopare, which has an area of 100 acres, and the four remaining varieties were present in much reduced numbers compared with recent years. Mr. Richdale was critical of the failure of the Department of Internal Affairs to take any action to exterminate the cats, and said the Southland and Otago branches of the Royal Society were taking steps to raise sufficient money to have the cats destroyed by the native owners of the island. The remains of a number of birds brought bacft from the island showed clearly the depredations of the cats. While on the island Mr. Richdale destroyed five cats and saw at least three more. Mr. Richdale said a survey made of the bird population of Herekopare in 1911 showed that there were then about 500,000 birds there. That total was now sadly depleted and was falling very rapidly. The cats were introduced by the native owners only 12 years ago, and already the red-headed and yellowheaded parrakeets, the robin, the tomtit and the fern bird had been exterminated. The pararas were scarce and the only remaining birds were the titwainui, the kuaka and the mutton-bird.