Abstract Context Feral cats pose a significant threat to wildlife in Australia and internationally. Controlling feral cats can be problematic because of their tendency to hunt live prey rather than be attracted to food-based lures. The Felixer grooming trap was developed as a targeted and automated poisoning device that sprays poison onto the fur of a passing cat, relying on compulsive grooming for ingestion. Aims We conducted a field trial to test the effectiveness of Felixers in the control of feral cats in northern South Australia where feral cats were present within a 2600-ha predator-proof fenced paddock. Methods Twenty Felixers were set to fire across vehicle tracks and dune crossings for 6 weeks. Cat activity was recorded using track counts and grids of remote camera traps set within the Felixer Paddock and an adjacent 3700-ha Control Paddock where feral cats were not controlled. Radio-collars were placed on six cats and spatial mark–resight models were used to estimate population density before and after Felixer deployment. Key results None of the 1024 non-target objects (bettongs, bilbies, birds, lizards, humans, vehicles) that passed a Felixer during the trial was fired on, confirming high target specificity. Thirty-three Felixer firings were recorded over the 6-week trial, all being triggered by feral cats. The only two radio-collared cats that triggered Felixers during the trial, died. Two other radio-collared cats appeared to avoid Felixer traps possibly as a reaction to previous catching and handling rendering them neophobic. None of the 22 individually distinguishable cats targeted by Felixers was subsequently observed on cameras, suggesting death after firing. Felixer data, activity and density estimates consistently indicated that nearly two-thirds of the cat population was killed by the Felixers during the 6-week trial. Conclusions Results suggest that Felixers are an effective, target-specific method of controlling feral cats, at least in areas in which immigration is prevented. The firing rate of Felixers did not decline significantly over time, suggesting that a longer trial would have resulted in a higher number of kills. Implications Future studies should aim to determine the trade-off between Felixer density and the efficacy relative to reinvasion.

中文翻译：

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Felixer 美容陷阱对控制野猫的有效性：在干旱的南澳大利亚州进行的田间试验

摘要背景野猫对澳大利亚和国际上的野生动物构成了重大威胁。控制野猫可能会有问题，因为它们倾向于捕猎活的猎物，而不是被食物诱饵所吸引。Felixer 梳理陷阱是作为一种有针对性的自动中毒装置而开发的，它可以将毒药喷洒到路过的猫的皮毛上，依靠强迫性梳理来摄取。目标 我们进行了一项实地试验，以测试 Felixers 在南澳大利亚北部控制野猫方面的有效性，那里有野猫存在于 2600 公顷的防捕食围栏围场中。方法 20 辆 Felixer 被设置在车辆轨道和沙丘交叉路口开火 6 周。使用在 Felixer Paddock 和邻近的 3700 公顷控制围场内设置的远程摄像机陷阱的轨道计数和网格记录了猫的活动，其中野猫不受控制。无线电项圈被放置在六只猫身上，空间标记 - 视力模型用于估计 Felixer 部署前后的人口密度。主要结果 在试验期间通过 Felixer 的 1024 种非目标物体（贝通、兔兔、鸟类、蜥蜴、人类、车辆）均未受到射击，证实了高目标特异性。在为期 6 周的试验中，记录了 33 次 Felixer 射击，所有这些都是由野猫触发的。在试验期间触发 Felixers 的仅有的两只戴无线电项圈的猫死亡。另外两只戴无线电项圈的猫似乎避免了 Felixer 陷阱，这可能是对先前捕捉和处理使它们产生恐惧症的反应。Felixers 瞄准的 22 只可单独区分的猫中没有一只随后在相机上被观察到，这表明射击后死亡。Felixer 数据、活动和密度估计一致表明，在为期 6 周的试验中，将近三分之二的猫种群被 Felixer 杀死。结论 结果表明，Felixers 是一种有效的、针对特定目标的控制野猫的方法，至少在防止移民的地区是这样。Felixers 的发射率并没有随着时间的推移而显着下降，这表明更长的试验时间会导致更多的杀戮。意义 未来的研究应着眼于确定 Felixer 密度和相对于再侵袭的疗效之间的权衡。暗示开枪后死亡。Felixer 数据、活动和密度估计一致表明，在为期 6 周的试验中，将近三分之二的猫种群被 Felixer 杀死。结论 结果表明，Felixers 是一种有效的、针对特定目标的控制野猫的方法，至少在防止移民的地区是这样。Felixers 的发射率并没有随着时间的推移而显着下降，这表明更长的试验时间会导致更多的杀戮。意义 未来的研究应着眼于确定 Felixer 密度和相对于再侵袭的疗效之间的权衡。暗示开枪后死亡。Felixer 数据、活动和密度估计一致表明，在为期 6 周的试验中，将近三分之二的猫种群被 Felixer 杀死。结论 结果表明 Felixers 是一种有效的、针对特定目标的控制野猫的方法，至少在防止移民的地区是这样。Felixers 的发射率并没有随着时间的推移而显着下降，这表明更长的试验时间会导致更多的杀戮。意义 未来的研究应着眼于确定 Felixer 密度和相对于再侵袭的疗效之间的权衡。结论 结果表明，Felixers 是一种有效的、针对特定目标的控制野猫的方法，至少在防止移民的地区是这样。Felixers 的发射率并没有随着时间的推移而显着下降，这表明更长的试验时间会导致更多的杀戮。意义 未来的研究应着眼于确定 Felixer 密度和相对于再侵袭的疗效之间的权衡。结论 结果表明，Felixers 是一种有效的、针对特定目标的控制野猫的方法，至少在防止移民的地区是这样。Felixers 的发射率并没有随着时间的推移而显着下降，这表明更长的试验时间会导致更多的杀戮。意义 未来的研究应着眼于确定 Felixer 密度和相对于再侵袭的疗效之间的权衡。