Nine Lives, the feral cat that terrorised New Zealand’s rare ducks, is caught after three years
Large tabby cat that wiped out dozens of rare pāteke, or brown teal, has been killed after eluding trappers with its ‘very erratic’ behaviour A notorious feral cat given the name “Nine Lives” because it eluded trappers for three years has been caught and killed in New Zealand, ending its devastating rampage against one of the country’s rare duck populations. The cat, a large grey tabby, is…
A feral cat named "Nine Lives" that terrorized New Zealand's rare ducks has been caught and killed after three years of eluding trappers. Known for its erratic behavior, the large grey tabby cat is estimated to have killed dozens of the country's rarest mainland duck, 1% of its population, as well as kiwi chicks, native geckos, and other native wildlife on the Purerua peninsula.
The cat, first spotted in 2023, remained elusive despite efforts by the conservation project Pest Free Purerua to catch it using traps, cameras, and bait. It was only on July 30 that Nine Lives was finally caught after being spotted at a quarry three nights in a row. The cat will be taxidermied for educational purposes and its stomach contents will be examined to determine its diet.
Despite the controversy surrounding the cat's death, conservationists hope its capture will raise awareness about the devastating impact of feral cats on native species.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
