No one knows the extent of Hawaiʻi's feral cat problem, but some have estimated that there are thousands of feral cat colonies around the islands.
In the wake of the death of a nēnē gosling from a disease transmitted by cats, a nēnē research and conservation group is asking members of the community to report cat colony sightings.
The group will put together a comprehensive cat map and work with policymakers to prioritize areas where feral cats and endangered native species are coming in contact. It’s the first statewide effort of its kind.
Jordan Lerma, the executive director of nene.org, spoke with The Conversation last week. Just a week after launching the CatMap project, the organization has already received reports of 6,000 cats.
"We want to be able to provide stakeholders, provide policymakers with as much data as they can have to make good decisions about where they should spend money to try and solve these overlaps between protected species and cats," Lerma said.
"It doesn't make sense to go and try to remove a bunch of cats from a place where they're not interacting as much with protected species compared to critical habitats for nēnē or monk seals or places that have access to the water," he added.
This interview aired on The Conversation on May 13, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
