Field palatability and degradation of a selection of feral cat bait matrices on Auckland Island
Finlay Cox, Paul F. Jacques, Micaela Kirby-Crowe, Elaine Murphy
Abstract
Primary poisoning is an important method to ensure the successful eradication of cats (Felis catus) from large islands. Poison bait options for feral cat eradications and landscape-scale control in New Zealand are limited at present. As part of the development of a toxic bait for cats that can be aerially distributed, a nontoxic palatability trial was undertaken on Auckland Island to compare three types of prototype meat-based bait and one currently registered fishmeal polymer pellet for their palatability to feral cats and non-target species.
Topics & Concepts
PalatabilityEcologySelection (genetic algorithm)GeographyBiologyField (mathematics)MathematicsFood sciencePure mathematicsComputer scienceArtificial intelligenceHuman-Animal Interaction StudiesWildlife Ecology and ConservationAnimal Ecology and Behavior Studies