A hunting competition recently canceled a category where children under the age of 14 were tasked with killing as many feral cats as possible, due to backlash.
A hunting competition in New Zealand has recently come under fire for introducing a category in which children under the age of 14 were tasked with killing as many feral cats as possible.
Following the uproar, the North Canterbury Hunting Competition canceled the category, which was originally announced on April 14 and would have seen children shooting the feral cats for a prize of NZ$250 . Outraged animal rights organizations argued that children wouldn't know the difference between a feral cat and someone's pet. Although the competition stated that entrants who killed someone's pet would be disqualified, this was"too little too late," a spokesperson for animal rights group SAFE told. This is because a microchip would only be discovered on a cat after it has been killed.
In a statement, the North Canterbury Hunting Competition said it had removed the category to avoid further backlash.A file photo of a cat. Feral cats in New Zealand can cause issues for native wildlife.Feral cats pose a risk to the native ecosystem in New Zealand. They are the same species as domestic cats, but they live outside, and don't allow themselves to be touched or handled by humans.
The Department of Conservation supports the hunting of feral cats as long as humane methods are used to kill them. However, the principal scientist at the department, Craig Gillies, agreed that as feral and domestic cats are the same species, it's difficult to tell them apart. Feral cats are also not the same as stray cats, which usually depend on humans to be fed and usually don't pose the same risks to the environment.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
United plans to expand Australia, New Zealand flights 40% in bet on international travel reboundAirline executives have said international travel demand has been growing strongly.
Read more »
United Airlines adds country's 1st direct flight from SFO to New ZealandBeginning December 1, United will be the only airline to offer direct flights between the US and New Zealand's South Island, with the launch of the SFO to Christchurch service.
Read more »
New Zealand CPI inflation is expected to rise to 1.7% in Q1 – TDSStrategists at TD Securities (TDS) offer a brief preview of the upcoming release of the quarterly consumer inflation figures from New Zealand, due dur
Read more »
New Zealand cat killing competition axed after public outcryAnnual hunting competition caused uproar after organisers unveiled new category for children under 14 to hunt feral cats.
Read more »