Integrating Conservation and Community Engagement in Free-Roaming Cat Management: A Case Study from a Natura 2000 Protected Area

Animals, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(3), P. 429 - 429

Published: Feb. 4, 2025

La Graciosa, a Natura 2000 site in the Canary Islands, faces substantial conservation challenges, including large free-roaming cat population that threatens island’s native biodiversity. In July 2024, Trap–Neuter–Return (TNR) campaign achieved an 81.4% sterilization rate within urban areas, highlighting TNR’s short-term effectiveness reducing reproductive potential and, consequently, mitigating predation pressures primarily through prevention of new litters and reduced activity cats. The campaign’s success relied heavily on active involvement local community, who assisted with identifying, trapping, monitoring cats, thereby facilitating high rate. However, administrative restrictions hindered access to peri-urban zones, leaving essential clusters unsterilized limiting overall scope. Additionally, strong opposition from groups, amplified by extensive media coverage, halted project prematurely, effective 69.3% three months. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) suggests achieving rates could lead reduction over time; however, inability all segments reach ideal 93–95% threshold limits as long-term standalone solution. Our findings underscore need for adaptive, context-specific management frameworks ecologically sensitive areas integrate TNR complementary measures, consider regulatory barriers, value community involvement. This case study provides crucial insights policymakers conservationists seeking balance biodiversity humane practices protected areas.

Language: Английский

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When pets go wild: Integrating DNA metabarcoding and morphological analyses to investigate the impacts of free-ranging cats (Felis catus) on oceanic islands

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 305, P. 111089 - 111089

Published: March 12, 2025

Language: Английский

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Diel activity of free-ranging cats and their mammalian and avian prey on the oceanic Madeira Island, Macaronesia

European Journal of Wildlife Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 71(3)

Published: May 6, 2025

Language: Английский

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Community Engagement and the Effectiveness of Free-Roaming Cat Control Techniques: A Systematic Review

Animals, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(3), P. 492 - 492

Published: Feb. 2, 2024

Although free-roaming and feral cat control techniques are often applied in human communities, community engagement is not always considered. A systematic literature review following an update of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) methodology was conducted to evaluate whether influences effectiveness techniques, excluding culling, managing populations. The degree estimated based on number roles reported during application technique, which included adoption, trapping, care, and/or education. Education followed by adoption determining factor decreasing populations over time. limited evaluations technique effectiveness, narrow geographical scope, our simple measure emphasize need more detailed studies. These studies should while considering comprehensively.

Language: Английский

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The Role of Veterinarians in Managing Community Cats: A Contextualized, Comprehensive Approach for Biodiversity, Public Health, and Animal Welfare

Animals, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(10), P. 1586 - 1586

Published: May 9, 2023

Homeless cats are a major problem in Europe, with hundreds of thousands abandoned every year. While many die, others can adapt to lifestyle roaming freely and establish community cat populations that tend cluster together groups. These groups typically found urban areas offer food shelter the cats. Animal welfare organizations often care for these cats, providing them food, shelter, medical attention. Despite this, conflicts arise due presence free-roaming some individuals advocating drastic measures such as trapping killing reduce their populations. However, it is essential note methods frequently illegal, inhumane, ultimately ineffective most situations. A thorough assessment impact on particular natural area requires comprehensive census, detailed study species being preyed upon, an investigation into prevalence zoonotic or epizootic diseases. Moreover, veterinary experts assert public health risks associated overstated. This article aims provide nuanced perspective biodiversity areas, while also discussing role transmitting main diseases identified European countries recent years, focus Spain. Effective control programs should non-lethal trap-neuter-return (TNR) adoption. TNR has proven be effective humane method controlling population, but its effectiveness influenced by several factors, including adoption education responsible pet ownership. According Spanish veterinarians, sustainable science-based solutions best way achieve population The profession raise awareness regarding sterilization, vaccination, identification consequences abandonment. They oppose lethal removal from environment, which unethical methods. To promote animal welfare, professionals must collaborate administrations implement long-term, overpopulation. Greater social importance sterilization prevent abandonment number needed. challenges presented homeless Spain rest there reasons optimism. actively collaborating develop manage Furthermore, initiatives gaining momentum support emerging laws regulations, law. Through efforts, we improve quality life.

Language: Английский

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The wild cost of invasive feral animals worldwide

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 912, P. 169281 - 169281

Published: Dec. 14, 2023

Language: Английский

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The animal welfare, environmental impact, pest control functions, and disease effects of free‐ranging cats can be generalized and all are grounds for humanely reducing their numbers

Conservation Science and Practice, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 5(10)

Published: Sept. 19, 2023

Abstract Although the domestic cat Felis catus is implicated in multiple faunal extinctions and threatens many extant species, there widespread, well‐funded advocacy for desexing unowned cats near human habitation returning them to site be fed by volunteers, arguing that this prevents euthanasia, unlikely hazardous wildlife or a public health risk, controls non‐native rodents. To contrary, we present unequivocal evidence approach harms welfare, does threaten health, exacerbates rather than rodent problems. We argue instead can controlled effectively intensive adoption responsible euthanasia when necessary, supported licensing containment of adopted/owned cats.

Language: Английский

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Density and ecological drivers of free‐ranging cat abundance and activity in Madeira Island, Macaronesia

Conservation Science and Practice, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 5(12)

Published: Nov. 6, 2023

Abstract Mammalian predators introduced to oceanic islands pose a significant threat biodiversity and have led numerous extinctions. Free‐ranging cats are particularly problematic due their predatory habits negative impact on conservation. However, there is limited information the ecology population status of free‐ranging in insular ecosystems, where they often represent apex terrestrial predator. Using peri‐urban protected area subtropical island Madeira as case study, we employed camera traps assess density investigate ecological drivers influencing abundance activity nonurban habitats. Based 582 trapping‐nights, identified 25 individual from 156 cat detections. Spatially explicit capture–recapture models revealed 1.4 per km 2 . Cat was positively affected by both proportion rocky areas landscape distance human resource subsidies, whereas no driver found for abundance. Our results indicate that highly abundant throughout suggest core home ranges associated with terrain, away most humanized sections park. do not appear heavily rely anthropogenic food sources, signaling may mostly wild prey fulfill dietary needs. Their preference could be explained increased availability shelter prey, such wall lizard ( Teira dugesii ). Notably, were high vicinity only known breeding colony locally threatened Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus ) Island. findings native vertebrate fauna thus management, during season shearwater, should considered.

Language: Английский

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The impacts of free‐roaming cats cannot be generalized and their role in rodent management should not be overlooked

Conservation Science and Practice, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 5(1)

Published: Dec. 7, 2022

Abstract Cats, Felis catus L. (Carnivora: Felidae), were domesticated because of their role in rodent control around human settlements. Free‐roaming cats (henceforth, referred to as “cats”) can predate on a wide variety small‐ medium‐sized animals and affect biodiversity. The impact biodiversity varies from country country, region region, habitat habitat. Depending the location context, overall be negative, neutral, or positive. Management should take into account complex interactions that occur between cats, rodents, species they prey upon.

Language: Английский

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Free-roaming domestic cats in Natura 2000 sites of central Spain: Home range, distance travelled and management implications

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 270, P. 106136 - 106136

Published: Dec. 12, 2023

Language: Английский

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