The town of Richmond, in north-western Queensland, Australia, took a lot of heat in July when it announced a $5-a-head bounty for feral cats that are apparently causing problems for native wildlife in the area.
Richmond Mayor John Wharton told ABC Queensland,
A Melbourne university was doing studies between Richmond and Julia Creek about three or four years ago and they were shooting cats at night time, opening them up in the morning and finding up to four different species of animal, either birds or small mice and dunnarts. That’s a lot of wildlife.
The Australian Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals criticized the bounty, saying that it supports killing feral cats, but not bounties which could encourage hunting feral cats for sport. Queensland RSPCA executive Mark Townend told ABC Queensland,
The RSPCA does supporting the culling [of feral cats] for the preservation of wildlife. But we have to do it in a humane way and I’m very disappointed that people will go off and offer financial incentives to have people who are amateurs out there killing other animals in an inhumane way.
The Richmond council wanted the Local Government Association of Queensland to adopt a $5 bounty throughout the Queensland, but that suggestion was rejected.
Sources:
Council defends feral cat bounty. ABC Queensland, July 6, 2004.
Feral cat cull plan not supported. The Bundaberg Mail Times, July 8, 2004.