TAS: Birds return as cats cleared off Macquarie Island

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2001
TAS: Birds return as cats cleared off Macquarie Island

HOBART, Aug 31 AAP - Rare seabirds have returned to sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island
because all of the feral cats there have been destroyed.

Tasmania's Environment Minister David Llewellyn said today the grey petrel had bred
successfully on the island for the first time in 100 years.

The endangered blue petrel had also started breeding there after being forced by the
cats to offshore rocks.

Sealers brought rabbits and cats to the island in the early 1800s.

The rabbits, which destroyed the vegetation cover needed by birds, were dealt with first.

But as the rabbit population declined, the cats turned increasingly to birds.

Mr Llewellyn said 260 cats were caught in 1996, but numbers had declined steadily since.

Two specially trained tracker dogs taken to the island in June last year could not find any cats.

However, rangers will continue to monitor the island to ensure there are no survivors.

AAP dw/cjh

KEYWORD: MACQUARIE

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