picture of a cat-feeding station at Queens’ Marketplace with a curious nēnē, courtesy Hawai’i DLNR
(BIVN) – The State of Hawai‘i is putting an end to the cat-feeding stations in the parking lot of Queens’ Marketplace in Waikoloa.
From the Hawai‘i DLNR:
The DLNR has actually directed the elimination of cat-feeding stations situated at a Hawai‘i Island shopping mall, following problems that the threatened Hawai‘i state bird, the nēnē (Hawaiian goose), are being adversely affected by the intake of cat food and close contact with feral cats.
While Queens’ Marketplace did not set up the feeding stations (situated in the back car park), it has actually consented to eliminate them. The stations will be gone back to the not-for-profit organization that feeds the feral cats situated throughout the Waikoloa Beach Resort neighborhood.
In a letter sent to Alexander & Baldwin (A&B), the owner of the Queens’ Marketplace, on Tuesday, DLNR Chair Dawn Chang kept in mind, “The endangered nēnē have been observed consuming the cat food and regularly spending time among the feral cat colony which has resulted in harm to nēnē.”
picture of a cat-feeding station at Queens’ Marketplace, courtesy Hawai’i DLNR
The DLNR points out various possible effects to the federally threatened types, consisting of:
- Cat food is a not a natural diet plan product for nēnē.
- Cat feeding impacts the natural habits of nēnē, bringing them into close contact with individuals and roadways, exposing them to threats from automobiles, dogs, feral cats and mongoose.
- Feeding ‘habituates’ nēnē to people, resulting in separation from their natural surroundings and additional dependence on feeding stations.
- Cats are understood providers of the infection toxoplasmosis which is a leading cause of death for nēnē.
“While we recognize that some members of the community feel a strong attachment to feral cats, DLNR’s mission and mandate is to protect and preserve these endangered and endemic species,” Chang’s letter included.
DLNR says:
The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE), validated the feeding of nēnē was taking place. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was sought advice from and thinks about the feeding an unlawful take.
If A&B does not abide by the DLNR regulation to get rid of the cat-feeding stations from its property, and forbid additional feeding, it might deal with charges for prohibited take of a safeguarded types. “We appreciate A&B’s cooperation and prompt attention to this situation. We hope the people of Hawaiʻi will help by keeping all cats inside, adopting if they can provide safe indoor homes, and not putting food outside that our native wildlife might eat,” Chang said.
Raymond McGuire, the DOFAW wildlife biologist who has actually been handling the concern commented, “Everybody who gets into wildlife work loves animals. We’re not anti-cat, but when we see a concern with our endangered wildlife, we need to address it. Nēnē are very special, not just to our islands, not just to the State, but to the people. We are lovers of all animals but have a responsibility to protect our native species first and foremost.”
A&B has up until April 25 to get rid of the cat-feeding stations and has actually notified DLNR it means to fulfill that due date.
In addition to getting rid of cat feeding stations, DLNR recommends that action be required to record feral cats and eliminate them from the landscape, as they position a hazard to nēnē and other native wildlife through direct predation and spreading out toxoplasmosis.
Indoor cats live longer and are secured from risks of illness and hostility from other cats and automobiles. Cats living outdoors can take a trip miles in a day and cats have actually been recorded eliminating whole nests of threatened native birds. DLNR prompts individuals to keep animal cats inside and prevent feeding feral cats, and in basic supports a design of “Trap, Neuter, Adopt” to shift feral cats into indoor care anywhere possible.
