Les hommes ont oublié cette vérité. Mais tu ne dois pas l'oublier, dit le renard. Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé.
Le Petit Prince, chap. 21

Monday 3 December 2012

Cat eradication on Marion island

Bester, M.N., Bloomer, J.P., van Aarde, R.J., Erasmus B.H., van Rensberg P.J.J., Skinner J.D., Howell P.G. & Naude T.W. 2002. A review of the successful eradication of feral cats from sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Southern Indian Ocean. South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 32, 65-73.

This paper reviews the history of the feral cat eradication programme on sub-Antarctic Marion Island based on unpublished minutes of meetings, reports, letters, theses and published scientific papers; and reflects on the outcome of the eradication campaign. The 19-year programme comprised seven phases, commencing with a description of the effect of the cats on the Marion Island ecosystem, the characteristics of the cat population and the formulation of a management policy (phase 1: 1974–1976). Methods for control were selected and preparations were made for the implementation of the primary control measure, biological control with the feline panleucopaenia virus (phase 2: 1976/77). The virus was released in 1977 (phase 3: 1977), followed by the determination of its effects (phase 4: 1977–1980). Monitoring of the effects of the virus continued, and the secondary control measure of hunting at night was tested (phase 5: 1981–1983). Full-scale implementation of hunting and continued monitoring of the effects of both the disease and hunting followed (phase 6: 1986–1989). The inclusion of intensive trapping and poisoning as tertiary control measures culminated in the final eradication of cats from Marion Island in 1991 (phase 7: 1989–1993).



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