Kangaroo Island small kangaroos are in danger of extinction

New research in the journal Scientific Reports finds feral cats are a major threat to the critically endangered possum population on Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island marsupials are only left with a population of about 500.

The researchers examined the stomachs and digestive tracts of 86 feral cats collected from various sanctuaries on Kangaroo Island between February and August 2020. Seven of the cats contained the remains of eight Kangaroo Island kangaroos in their digestive tracts. The results confirm for the first time that feral cats hunt small kangaroos and that they are effective predators after bushfires, a team of experts from the University of Adelaide reported in the journal Scientific Reports June 16.

Research demonstrates the importance of controlling feral cats on the island. The combined pressures of small isolated populations, natural disasters such as wildfires, and predatory behavior of feral cats could lead to the extinction of this vulnerable little kangaroo species. The team also discovered the carcass of an endangered rat, revealing that the feral cat also hunts many other threatened animals.

The Kangaroo Island kangaroo is not the most famous marsupial like the koala, opossum or kangaroo, but is one of the rarest. This is a small mouse-sized animal that lives on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. Experts estimate that only 500 rats remain and are threatened by feral cats. The Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Kangaroo Island kangaroos as critically endangered. Massive wildfires spread across the island in 2019 and 2020, consuming 98% of their habitat.

The Kangaroo Island feral cat eradication project is part of an effort to reduce the impact of invasive cats on native wildlife. Authorities are catching feral cats and injecting euthanasia. If the program is successful, Kangaroo Island will become the largest inhabited island without feral cats, bringing many benefits to the island's ecosystem and economy.