The Tasmanian Government is acting to boost the resilience of little penguins on King Island, through the deployment of four new Felixer grooming traps to target feral cats.
The Felixer grooming traps will be deployed for 12 months in areas of key little penguin habitat in the Stokes Point Conservation Area, on the remote southern tip of King Island, and at Grassy Penguin Colony.
Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Gavin Pearce, said Felixer devices are an innovative method to control feral cats on the island.
“We continue to see the impacts of feral cats on little penguins, and with the increased pressure of H5 bird flu we know we must do everything we can to ensure resilience,” Minister Pearce said.
“The Felixer grooming traps are portable, equipped with artificial intelligence powered field devices that use lasers and cameras to identify target species.
“When a cat is identified as passing in front of the device, the treatment is administered to the cat’s fur which is then later ingested during grooming.
“Stokes Point and Grassy Penguin Colony are key habitat locations for little penguins on King Island, and the recent mortality event of 100 penguins on the island is a timely reminder of the risk to our wildlife population from a number of threats.
“The use of Felixer grooming traps for feral cat control in Tasmania is currently limited to islands where there are no non-target species that could be mistaken for a cat, such as Tasmanian devils.
“Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future we’re working to deliver stronger outcomes for our regions.”
