|
|
Article: A Cat-astrophe? (Australians debate how to deal with the exploding cat population, which is devastating some indigenous animals)
- Article from:
- Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- March 10, 1997
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Here . . . bandicoot, bandicoot, bandicoot!
What's a bandicoot? That's the beady-eyed, pointy-nosed animal Australians are being urged to adopt as a pet instead of the cat.
Why? Cats are killing woylies, boodies and other native Australian animals found nowhere else on Earth.
Cats are not native to Australia. Two hundred years ago, Europeans brought cats with them as they settled the new land. With no natural enemies on the continent, the cat population mushroomed.
Australia is now overrun with about 12 million cats. The cats are causing serious wildlife problems. Each year, cats kill thousands of wild animals. As a result, a ...