Silvervine: a natural lure to improve control of Aotearoa-NZ’s feral cat problem

Worldwide, feral cats are responsible for one-third of island bird, mammal, and reptile extinctions. In Aotearoa-NZ our wildlife are particularly vulnerable, with this ‘super-predator’ responsible for local extinction of over 70 species. New, smart AI-driven surveillance devices or traps can be designed to specifically target feral cats but there are no effective lures available to attract these naturally cautious animals to control tools. This programme will determine if silvervine, a kiwifruit species, which is known to attract cats, can provide an effective and sustainable lure to solve this issue. This Smart Idea is novel in that it combines unique plant chemistry with animal behaviour, engineering and iwi-led efforts for predator control. Unlike current lures, this lure is not food-based, so will attract feral cats even when food is plentiful. It is both non-toxic and highly species-specific. By programme end, diverse experts in their research areas will have demonstrated the efficacy of a cat-specific lure for integration into novel AI-surveillance and control devices to be used by conservation and iwi groups across Aotearoa-NZ, and with huge potential for international uptake. With programme success, the group will have a prototype cost-effective, long-lasting, and species-specific lure. If not (owing, for example, to cost or instability of the compounds), we will still have produced in-depth information on cat behaviour and alternative lure efficacy and have deepened relationships with hapū. Benefit and impact will be delivered to the conservation estate, agriculture (a reduction in toxoplasmosis, the disease spread by feral cats), and the public discourse on how to approach feral cat control.