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Cat threat: New Zealand to give puss the boot
01.04.2013 11:34 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
In an attempt to turn New Zealand into a sanctuary for flightless kiwi birds and other endangered local wildlife, the island nation’s parliament is considering to expel all cats from the country, a measure that has brought a disdainful hiss from all feline lovers, Voice of Russia reports.
The issue has been dividing New Zealanders for years, with wildlife activists claiming that domesticated balls of fluff are still «natural born killers» genetically coded to dispatch of a kiwi with a single paw swipe.
Only some 5% of kiwi chicks manage to survive to adulthood, while struggling against the onslaught of invasive purry predators.
«If we are serious about kiwi conservation, we must give up our cat addiction,» says Prof. Phil Kummer, leading expert at the Organization for Helping Ground Animals with Defense (OHGAWD).
«Cute and fluffy as they come, our felines are birds’ natural enemies. Kiwi killings by cats must be stopped once and for all to secure a future for New Zealand’s national symbol,» Prof. Kummer adds.
It has been proposed that all cats be loaded onto a barge to be then shipped off to a more suitable place that is ready to give this mewing cargo a new home.
The Noah’s puss ark may drop anchor in Australia, among other destinations, where a shelter will be set up to let exiled tabbies frolic around and bask in the sunlight without wreaking havoc with defenseless kiwis.
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