{"id":643667,"date":"2026-05-01T22:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T22:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643667\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T22:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T22:42:16","slug":"unprecedented-blitz-hits-aussie-tourist-island-as-800-devices-deployed-in-world-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643667\/","title":{"rendered":"Unprecedented ‘blitz’ hits Aussie tourist island as 800 devices deployed in ‘world-first’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A large-scale winter operation to wipe out one of the country\u2019s most destructive species<\/a> is now underway on Australia\u2019s third-largest island,<\/a> with experts saying it could become a world-first in conservation.<\/a><\/p>\n

More than 800 traps \u2014 alongside thermal imaging, drones and detection dogs \u2014 are being deployed in what is shaping up to be the most ambitious attempt yet to eliminate feral cats<\/a> from a populated island anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

Winter offers a narrow window of opportunity on South Australia\u2019s Kangaroo Island,<\/a> with food scarcity and increased movement making the remaining animals easier to track.<\/p>\n

\"Kangaroo<\/p>\n

Kangaroo Island in South Australia is the country’s third-largest.<\/p>\n

(Paola Giannoni via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Around 280 4G-enabled remote cameras are also in place, providing near real-time detections to guide operations on the ground.<\/p>\n

The effort is further supported by thermal drones, vehicle-mounted thermal optics and ground-based thermal scopes, allowing teams to track and target the remaining cats with increasing precision.<\/p>\n

If successful, the effort could provide a blueprint for tackling cat-driven extinctions globally.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Feral cats kill more than 1.5 billion native animals every year in Australia.<\/p>\n

Backers say the program is now within reach, but not yet fully funded.<\/p>\n

The South Australian government has committed $800,000, while a further $370,000 has been secured through investment by the Invasive Species Council, but another $2.7 million is needed from the federal government to complete the job.<\/p>\n

Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said the scale of the operation reflects the urgency of the threat posed by feral cats to native wildlife.<\/p>\n

\u2018This is exactly the kind of ambitious, practical feral cat action Australia needs more of,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A feral cat spotted on Moreton Island, off the coast of southeast Queensland, weighing almost seven kilos. Source: Brisbane City Council<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dudley Peninsula program shows what is possible when governments, landholders and communities back skilled eradication teams with the funding and tools they need.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce complete, this will be the largest successful feral cat eradication on a populated island anywhere in the world \u2014 and that\u2019s a huge deal for Australia and globally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gough said completing the program would deliver significant protection for some of the island\u2019s most vulnerable species.<\/p>\n

\"Jack<\/p>\n

Jack Gough, CEO of the Invasive Species Council<\/p>\n

(Source: Invasive Species Council)<\/p>\n

\u201cFinishing this job means real protection for some of Kangaroo Island\u2019s most vulnerable native animals \u2014 including the Kangaroo Island dunnart, echidnas, little penguins and ground-nesting birds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is already strong co-investment behind this project, with $800,000 committed by the South Australian government and $370,000 the Invaisve Species Council has secured through philanthropic investment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis leaves $2,731,224 in remaining funding for the federal government to step up and deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gough said ongoing federal support would be critical to ensure the project reaches completion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to work with Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to secure the remaining funding needed to get the Dudley done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program is now within reach of success. The job is not done until the last cat is removed, and ongoing support from the federal government will be critical to make sure this hard-won progress is locked in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kangaroo Island rises from strength to strength<\/p>\n

The push comes after another major breakthrough on the island, where feral pigs, once roaming in the thousands, were effectively eliminated<\/a> following years of coordinated control efforts.<\/p>\n

During the horrific 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires<\/a>, which tore across more than half of the island, it’s believed feral population pig numbers were also reduced by an astonishing 90 per cent \u2014 an unexpected but welcomed outcome.<\/p>\n

Then the remaining pigs were attacked on all fronts with a “range” of methods in 2024, including a clever pig-specific bait device that affects pigs in a way similar to carbon monoxide poisoning, killing them quickly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s believed almost all were eliminated, but surveillance continues to make sure there are no survivors.<\/p>\n

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