Several groups in Spain have called for the eradication of wild feline colonies to protect biodiversity
There’s actually only one native species of wildcat in Spain. The ones frequently seen foraging in urban bins and creating a nuisance around tourist hotspots are common house cats that were long ago introduced from the East to control rodents on farms.
These mostly feral animals are already creating a noticeable ecological imbalance, breeding unchecked and preying on native species, and their proliferation is particularly damaging in places like the Balearic and Canary Islands.
“The presence of feline colonies or feral cats should not be allowed in sensitive areas, including insular ecosystems and areas inhabited by species of conservation interest,” the latest report states.
The groups have highlighted the irony that not “a single euro” of government funding goes towards protecting many bird species, small terrestrial mammals, bats and reptiles that are routinely exterminated by the cats, who also spread flea infestations and disease, often to humans.
Finally, the group has stressed the importance of vaccination, deworming and microchipping in the animals that are captured for sterilisation. “In this way, according to the president of the International Foundation for the Protection of Animals, “cat colonies will not increase in number and effective control and care of them can be carried out, avoiding the problems alluded to by biologists.”
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