<
https://theconversation.com/this-critically-endangered-marsupial-survived-a-bushfire-then-along-came-the-feral-cats-185133>
"The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 pushed a host of threatened species
closer to extinction, including the critically endangered Kangaroo Island
dunnart. And as our research released today shows, feral cats posed a second
lethal threat to the species in the weeks after the disaster.
The Kangaroo Island dunnart is a mouse-sized marsupial found only on the
western end of the island. Bushfires in January 2020 burnt more than 98% of its
habitat. The dunnart population was thought to be about 500 before the fire;
its current numbers are being surveyed but are thought to have since declined
even further.
Cat predation has caused the extinction or near-extinction of several native
species around the globe. Our results confirm for the first time that feral
cats prey on the dunnart and did so directly after the bushfires.
The findings underscore the importance of acting immediately to protect
threatened species from predators in the wake of catastrophic natural events."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
