A controversial contest that lets children hunt stray cats for a prize in rural New Zealand has produced its biggest haul yet, with around 340 animals killed, about 100 more than last year’s event.
North Canterbury’s annual fundraising event, which finished this weekend, was open to children and adults and featured deer, pigs, ducks, possums and rabbits.
In 2023, feral cats will be added to the other hunting categories, sparking outrage from animal rights activists.
Event organiser Matt Bailey said the feline category was created to control feral cats that threaten native wildlife and carry diseases that endanger farmers’ livestock. The hunter who kills the most cats will receive a cash prize of NZ$500, and the hunter who captures the largest cat will receive NZ$1,000.
Feral and domestic cats pose a serious threat to New Zealand’s biodiversity and native wildlife. The predators prey on endangered native birds and their eggs, lizards, bats and insects, but their management is a hotly debated issue in New Zealand, which is home to one of the world’s largest populations of cats. The highest cat ownership rate in the world There are more than 100 cats for every person, and nearly half of households own a cat. Conservation groups regularly call for feral cats to be included in the world’s most ambitious pest-control plan, which aims to eradicate all possums, rats, stoats and ferrets by 2050.
Just over 1500 people took part in this year’s North Canterbury event, with around 440 of them under the age of 14.
Animal rights activists have condemned the contest, saying it is cruel to animals, desensitizes children to violence and puts pet cats at risk.
Animal rights protesters attended the event and said they were soon approached by young people dressed in animal costumes with the words “Animals Killing Movement” printed on them.
The group criticised the event for trying to justify violence against animals by claiming to be for animal protection.
“There is nothing conservative about people encouraging kids to kill animals and throwing dead possums at us,” said protester Sarah Jackson.
“I’m not too worried about people who don’t understand, and I’m not too worried about their feelings,” Bailey said.
Bailey said rural children grow up in an environment where animals are hunted, skinned, processed and eaten. “That’s normal rural life.”
He said safeguards are in place to ensure that domestic cats are not targeted and that cats are killed humanely. Feral cats must first be trapped to ensure they are identified as feral and then killed with at least a .22 rifle. Hunting is limited to non-residential areas and traps are set at least 10 kilometres away. Bailey said it is easy to tell the difference between feral and domestic cats.
“when [ferals] If you put them in a cage, it’s obvious. They’re like demons on methamphetamine and they’re going to attack you.”
This year’s open competition raised approximately $60,000 for local schools and community pools, while venison from the deer hunt was processed, frozen and donated to food banks.
Hunters and animal rights groups have one thing in common: They both want more emphasis on responsible cat ownership.
The Animal Justice Party said alternative methods of controlling the cat population, such as trap-and-neuter programs, should be considered.
“If we truly care about bird conservation and wildlife protection, individuals need to take responsibility by neutering and neutering their cats to prevent unplanned breeding and the subsequent abandonment of unwanted kittens,” the group said.
Bailey believes the law needs to be changed to ensure cats are microchipped and neutered.
“They are apex predators and if we want to eliminate predators it’s time we stem the tide of humans breeding. New Zealand,Animals,Asia Pacific And then they dump it in the countryside.”
