With the backing of Australian authorities, feral cats in that country are being killed and their fur reportedly used to make hats and golf club covers, which are for sale on the Internet, the Southern Australian newspaper The Mercury reports.
A number of feline protection groups acknowledge that some of the 5,000 wild cats on Kangaroo Island off Adelaide in South Australia need to be managed in order to protect the islands diverse wildlife, which includes Bushtail Possum, Tammar Wallaby and Southern Brown Bandicoot. But the groups say shooting and poisoning the cats and then using their fur, heads and tails for profit is appalling and barbaric and the government shouldn't help finance it, the newspaper says.
The Southern Australia Dog and Cat Management Board, which provides funding for the project, declined to talk with the newspaper. Instead, officials faxed a response to a protest group, saying they were aware that feral cats are being culled on Kangaroo Island and have been assured that the program is being conducted in a humane manner.
Kangaroo Island is a popular destination for tourists who want to see native Australian wildlife in a natural setting. The island has several wildlife preserves. The Kangaroo Island Council works with the Kangaroo Island Cat Control Committee -- which makes the cat products.
For more information, please visit The Southern Australian Dog and Cat Management Board website.
Posted: Dec. 15, 2005, 5a.m. EST