A review of the successful eradication of feral cats from sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Southern Indian Ocean

This paper reviews the history of the feral cat eradication programme on sub-Antarctic Marion Island based on unpublished minutes of meetings, reports, letters, theses and published scientific papers; and reflects on the outcome of the eradication campaign. The 19-year programme comprised seven phases, commencing with a description of the effect of the cats on the Marion Island ecosystem, the characteristics of the cat population and the formulation of a management policy (phase 1: 1974-1976). Methods for control were selected and preparations were made for the implementation of the primary control mea- sure, biological control with the feline panleucopaenia virus (phase 2: 1976/77). The virus was released in 1977 (phase 3: 1977), followed by the determination of its effects (phase 4: 1977-1980). Monitoring of the effects of the virus continued, and the secondary control measure of hunting at night was tested (phase 5: 1981-1983). Full-scale implementation of hunting and continued monitoring of the effects of both the disease and hunting followed (phase 6: 1986-1989). The inclusion of intensive trapping and poisoning as tertiary control measures culminated in the final eradication of cats from Marion Island in 1991 (phase 7: 1989-1993).

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