Cats Threaten Rare River Birds

Domestic and feral cats are now the top predator threat to rare birds nesting along the Ashley-Rakahuri River, with conservationists sounding the alarm as breeding season begins. Evidence shows more cats here than on larger, remote rivers — and the damage is real: one cat once destroyed nearly 95 tern nests in a weekend. With a national goal of predator-free by 2050, New Zealand is moving forward with policy, including a 2023 parliamentary recommendation for cat registration and microchipping, and a 2024 bill to make microchipping mandatory — submissions are open now. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/196b0b35d0e532b9