Palmas P., Gouyet R., Oedin M., Millon A., Cassan J. J., Kowi J., Bonnaud E., Vidal Eric. (2020). Rapid recolonisation of feral cats following intensive culling in a semi-isolated context. Neobiota, (63), p. 177-200. ISSN 1619-0033.
Titre du document
Rapid recolonisation of feral cats following intensive culling in a semi-isolated context
Palmas P., Gouyet R., Oedin M., Millon A., Cassan J. J., Kowi J., Bonnaud E., Vidal Eric
Source
Neobiota, 2020,
(63), p. 177-200 ISSN 1619-0033
Invasive feral cats threaten biodiversity at a global scale. Mitigating feral cat impacts and reducing their populations has therefore become a global conservation priority, especially on islands housing high en-demic biodiversity. The New Caledonian archipelago is a biodiversity hotspot showing outstanding ter-restrial species richness and endemism. Feral cats prey upon at least 44 of its native vertebrate species, 20 of which are IUCN Red-listed threatened species. To test the feasibility and efficiency of culling, intensive culling was conducted in a peninsula of New Caledonia (25.6 km(2)) identified as a priority site for feral cat management. Live-trapping over 38 days on a 10.6 km(2) area extirpated 36 adult cats, an estimated 44% of the population. However, three months after culling, all indicators derived from camera-trapping (e.g., abundance, minimum number of individuals and densities) suggest a return to pre-culling levels. Compensatory immigration appears to explain this unexpectedly rapid population recovery in a semi-isolated context. Since culling success does not guarantee a long-term effect, complementary methods like fencing and innovative automated traps need to be used, in accordance with predation thresholds identified through modelling, to preserve island biodiversity. Testing general assumptions on cat management, this article contributes important insights into a challenging conservation issue for islands and biodiversity hotspots worldwide.
Plan de classement
Sciences du monde animal [080]
;
Etudes, transformation, conservation du milieu naturel [082]
