Australia Plans to Kill Two Million Feral Cats by 2020 In 2015, the Australian government proposed the threatened species strategy in order to preserve the country’s natural environment. In their five-year plan, the eradication of two million feral cats through poisoning, trapping and hunting was deemed necessary. An estimated 211,560 cats were killed after the first 12 months of the strategy’s implementation. Feral cats have caused irreparable damage to Australia’s ecosystem, as they are responsible for around 20 billion animal deaths each year. They have reportedly played a key role in the extinction of at least 27 species unique to Australia. Australia’s plan was met with massive global backlash, but former commissioner Gregory Andrews reaffirmed the importance of taking action. Gregory Andrews, via statement There are currently estimated to be between 2.1 and 6.3 million feral cats, spread across 99.8% of Australia’s land area.
