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http://www.snakerescue.com.au/

 

They have started a petition to stop the importation of the so called "Savannah Cats", a cross between a domestic cat and an African Serval. These things are twice the size of a normal cat and can jump 2 metres high in a single bound. There are now moves to import them into Australia as 'pets' where they would most likely increase our feral cat problems. Because they are a hybrid with domestic cats the regular importation rules for exotic species don't apply.

Edited by KAZ
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I like cats but I don't think having these in the country is a good thing.

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People importing a new species of cat to Australia usually pay through the nose at HUGE prices to import these cats. I would assume NONE would be left to go feral or be dumped into the wilds of Australia considering they are nearly "gold plated" by the time they get here..in value terms. I dont see anything to panic about or sign petitions over here ;)

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These things will now breed with our regular domestic cats thoug. There is nothing that says animals being imported have to be desexed. People will pay the dollars for them and then breed more in the hopes of making money off them and the price will gradually come down. You have to look at the long term prospects. There is also no rulling that says people have to keep these cats in an enclosure or anything, would you like one of these jumping fences and eating your regular pet cat!!

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My research shows these to be $5000 aus dollars for a neutered kitten. At that price noone is going to release it into the wild and also it has been neutered. When breeders bring in new types of cats and dogs ALL sold animals are neutered to preserve the breeders profit margins so they can recoup their costs.

I think the petition is scare mongering.

 

ABC NEWS REPORT>>>>>>>>>>>Claws out for pet savannah cats

 

Posted Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:47pm AEST

 

There is growing scientific opposition and public outrage over the potential import of the savannah cat to Australia.

 

A new online petition calling for the Federal Government to review the importation and breeding of savannah cats in Australia has attracted 100 signatures.

 

The University of Sydney's professor Rick Shine, one of the world's leading herpetologists, is backing the public petition.

 

He says the impact of cane toads on the Australian environment has highlighted the need for greater scutiny of all imports.

 

"I think it's terrific that the local community does get an opportunity to tell their political representatives which issues they feel most strongly about. I think with any new animal that we bring in, there's always the potential that it could become a pest species, and that's a potential that needs to be evaluated very carefully and done before we bring the animal to Australia."

 

He says Australia's existing feral cats already kill a wide range of native species, including snakes and lizards.

 

"It sound to me like a remarkably bad idea to bring in an even larger cat. Feral cats have already had a devastating impact on Australian wildlife including on the lizards and snakes and so forth.

 

"The notion of bringing in something that's much bigger, that's going to eat a lot more and eat bigger things, seems to be like a truly bad idea."

 

If all they are worried about is a bigger cat....we already have MAINE COONS in the country ;)

Edited by KAZ
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Didn't know about the neutering but I still think it's a bad idea. There is an old saying that it's a 'death by a thousand cuts' first we allow a neutered kitten in, then an un neutered cat and so on. I personally think it is a bad idea to set any sort of precedent for them being allowed into the country at all. I have seen dogs and cats worth thousands end up in the pound unweanted, these things will get big and troublesome and then people will regret their purchase when they can't control them anymore so they will get rid of them. Many unwanted cats get dumped in the 'wild' regardless of how expensive they were to start with.

Edited by melbournebudgies
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Personally I just don't see the need for them. I had not heard that they had to be neutered, if that is the case I am a little less uncomfortable but like anything I really don't think we need to import anything that is going to increase the size of our domestic cat population.

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There is breeding of these cats already in Australia, but all SOLD kittens will be neutered. It seems a lot of panic and misinformation is occurring primarily at the moment on reptile forums according to Google searches.

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There is breeding of these cats already in Australia, but all SOLD kittens will be neutered. It seems a lot of panic and misinformation is occurring primarily at the moment on reptile forums according to Google searches.

 

Also on this forum.

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Agreed Derek. Its amazing to me how many people jump on and sign petitions without gaining all the facts first.

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A bit of off topic but perhaps relevant.

 

As you all can see in my signature I am very big into camp oven cooking. With that also goes native food cooking.

 

Every year in Alice Springs is a major Native Food Cooking Event. For the past few years, feral cat has had a category of it's own. People actually eat and enjoy them.

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The petition was actually given to me by the Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary so I wasn't necessarily jumping on the band wagon, I figured it was all above board. I will do a bit more research and send them some info as it sounds like they don't have all the facts themselves.

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From what I had heard and read nothing was said about being neutred or that we currently had cats like this in Australia. I have issues with how cats are treated in this country and the idea of adding more cats when we have 100s that are in need of a good home annoys me. If we could breed them from our existing population then I do not have such an issue but importing cats to get bigger animals worries me.

 

Some people will be anti it, some people will be for it and some people will not care. I am against importing any animal into the country because I personally think we are opening our selves up for issues that we have not really thought through. We can plan and cover all the bases but at the end of the day we can not account for or plan for all the possible outcomes as we can't even imagine half of them!

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MB there is a pile of Savannah cat breeders avaialble to ask question of on the internet alone. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get the "other side " of the story ?

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And even when they are planned someone always stuffs up. They imported cane toads to eat cane beetles, it didn't occur to anyone that the beetles live up on the cane and the toads live on the ground!

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From what I had heard and read nothing was said about being neutred or that we currently had cats like this in Australia. I have issues with how cats are treated in this country and the idea of adding more cats when we have 100s that are in need of a good home annoys me. If we could breed them from our existing population then I do not have such an issue but importing cats to get bigger animals worries me.

 

Some people will be anti it, some people will be for it and some people will not care. I am against importing any animal into the country because I personally think we are opening our selves up for issues that we have not really thought through. We can plan and cover all the bases but at the end of the day we can not account for or plan for all the possible outcomes as we can't even imagine half of them!

 

I see this as no different to those folk in Australia who imported budgies from the UK back in the 80's. Even then there was an outcry from certain quarters that it was the wrong thing to do.

 

As a result of that we now have some beautiful big show birds.

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Thanks Kaz, very interesting... I'll have a chat with the guys at the sanctuaryI do see the importation of preadtory species as different to the importation of show budgies thoguh Derek. I can't see your show budgies eating our native wildlife, these guys could survive in the wild IF they did become feral.

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Another interesting aside to this...what about all other pets released to go feral. Night times in our local street ferrets can be seen running around too. There is even a dumpage rate for released retiles.

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It's really disturbing how many animals get dumped. The sad thing is it isn't restricted to cross breeds or anything, there are some really expensive animals getting dumped. A while ago there was a litter of afghan pups in a pound up north even! They aren't all that common to start with so for them to be dumped at the pound boggles the mind!

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Derek I agree that it's not that differnent however bringing in a bird is a little different then bringing in a cat. I know that I have to do more reading on this subject however not sure why people are so up for things like this. It's like the Liger tell me why the world needed that? If it came about on it's own then fine but to force breed these animals is what I disagree with.

 

There has been no cases for Lions and Tigers breeding in the wild and producing viable offspring it's done in the lab which scares me. As far as I know the same goes for these cat and if you have any proof that it was a more natural process them I am open to reading about it but from what I have read they are another expamle of humans trying to breed something that should not exist and maybe there is a reason for that...

 

That is just my personal opinion.

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Derek I agree that it's not that differnent however bringing in a bird is a little different then bringing in a cat. I know that I have to do more reading on this subject however not sure why people are so up for things like this. It's like the Liger tell me why the world needed that? If it came about on it's own then fine but to force breed these animals is what I disagree with.

 

There has been no cases for Lions and Tigers breeding in the wild and producing viable offspring it's done in the lab which scares me. As far as I know the same goes for these cat and if you have any proof that it was a more natural process them I am open to reading about it but from what I have read they are another expamle of humans trying to breed something that should not exist and maybe there is a reason for that...

 

That is just my personal opinion.

 

 

Then perhaps you would have to say the same thing about every type of cow, sheep, goat, horse etc etc etc etc. All brought about by humans interfering with nature.

 

Even our own beloved little budgie. Look at the original bird and what you see at shows. Humans interfering with nature to produce something different.

 

Who has the right to say if it should exist or not.

 

Thats life ..........................

Edited by Derek
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I don't mind putting two animals in a cage or helping them breed as long as part P goes into part V I don't like putting things in a dish and mixing them up. Even to the extent of taking the same spieces and doing that (and please don't get upset at me cause I understand that alot of humans go thourhg IVF and I know the struggles and the heart ache so I am excluding them from this discussion)

 

Most farm animals came about by selective breeding way before AI was invented. I grew up on a farm I get why we did it I am happy for people to continue to do it.

 

I can see we are going to have to agree to disagree. :mellow:

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People importing a new species of cat to Australia usually pay through the nose at HUGE prices to import these cats. I would assume NONE would be left to go feral or be dumped into the wilds of Australia considering they are nearly "gold plated" by the time they get here..in value terms. I dont see anything to panic about or sign petitions over here :D

 

I agree and disagree .....

 

Yes people wil pay $$$$ to import a new specie to Australia...

 

But think in the long run, like most once were pet owners get bored and dump their pets and then they are lef to fend for them selves in the wild, I don' fancy a cat that can jump 2m being feral around here ......

 

Come to think of it why would anyone want a cat that can jump 2 m anyway ??????

Gonna need a lot of butter if they are bigger too lol .... ( FIY butter on paws ofa cat is meant to help them remember their way home)

 

I am gonna assume that this is just all talk for the moment, imagine the quarratine at the airports as it is they are in a bit of hot water because of the EI breakout with the horses so .... Yeah that is my say ;)

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According to Kaz's research Neat these are already in Austraia :D

 

Derek if a environmental impact assessment had been conducted a couple of hundred years ago on the impact of hard hooved animals on the Australian environment we might have thought differently about it. We are more educated now. I am currently working on a huge project for the vic governement which will allow us tyo analyse the effect of land use history(including different types of grazing) and it's affect on the current vegetation quality.

 

I think there is a big difference between an animal that can survive in the wild and one that can't. A show budgie would not survive in the wild,a large cat would.

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