abstract
Feral cats Felis catus on Dassen Island, South Africa, ate mostly birds, primarily chicks of the jackass penguin Spheniscus demersus in March/April 1985. At least nine per cent of the penguin chicks produced annually were killed by cats. Subadult cats (<3 kg), ate a wide range of prey, but larger cats ate only penguins, rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus and mice Mus musculus. As a result of intensified cat predation on penguins, and the cats' probable prevention of breeding of small, colonial sea birds, it was decided to eliminate, or at least control, them. During a seven-day intensive hunting programme in March/April 1985, some 70 cats were killed. Fewer than 10 individuals were thought to survive. Control operations are being contined, the aim being total eradication.
