Australia: Feral cats decimating small mammal species in Northern Territory; PAs of little avail
A new report from the Nature Conservancy has found that mammal species in northern Australia are in rapid decline and many are at risk of becoming extinct within the next decade.
At least a dozen species are listed as critical or endangered and another dozen are thought to be vulnerable.
Researchers believe the problem is getting worse and feral cats and fire management are largely to blame for the decline.
The head of biodiversity for the Northern Territory Environment Department, Professor John Woinarski, says the mostly small and furry creatures are under immense pressure and in many cases are living on borrowed time.
"When I came here 25 years or so ago it was a paradise for native mammals and that's just not the case anymore," he said.