(CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Hello, Kiwis. I'm Paddy Gower, and I have got issues. On the show, we investigate issues big and small that are important to all of us. And tonight ` feral cats in the wild are killing our native birds by the millions. We go hunting to ask why aren't we taking feral cat control seriously? And Karen tries to help the people of Hamilton, who want their own holiday instead of celebrating Auckland anniversary day. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023 (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Tonight, my issue is with feral cats. Feral ` this is a very important distinction from domestic cats. I happen to love domestic cats, but these feral cats are a totally different beast. They are not even strays. They are a wild animal breeding out of control all across the motu. There are potentially millions of them. They are pests, they are predators, and they are killing as many of our native birds, lizards, bats, our taonga species as any of our other predators, yet we are giving them a free pass. We've got a plan to target rats, possums, stoats, ferrets and weasels ` it's called Predator Free 2050, yet feral cats are not in this. Why? Well, it is because we love our cute domesticated cats. But if we don't start to think about feral cats differently, we could lose some of our native species forever. This is an issue for all of us. And tonight, I'm joined by my friend Isobel Ewing, Newshub reporter extraordinaire, and of course, Karen O'Leary, our community investigator, who investigates things out in the community, and our news deskers, Eli Matthewson and Courtney Dawson. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - So, Paddy, tonight's stories are Hamilton and cats. These are my two favourite musicals. Let's go. (LAUGHTER) - You, Eli, are an issue for all of us. (LAUGHTER) All right, Isobel, you've been investigating the feral cats issue. How fired up about this are you? - PG, I am so fired up about this. As New Zealanders, we seem to be OK about running over the odd possum, trapping stoats and rats, but we have this weird block when it comes to cats, and this is despite them being one of our worst predators for our native birds. - All right. Well, ground zero in this debate this year has been the North Canterbury Hunting Competition, where they created a hell of a lot of controversy when they were going to allow kids to hunt feral cats. So I went down there last week to see what the issue was. And a warning ` nothing gory, but some of what you are about to see will be quite confronting for some people. I'm at Cranford Downs farm in North Canterbury, and this lot are just about to check their traps for feral cats. Is it pretty easy to track these cats? - To be fair, it's probably the best way to get 'em, because they're such a stealthy animal. You don't usually see 'em, you know? You set a trap, and you're bound to get one. - Does that sound like... - They've found a cat. - ...they've found a cat? - That's the cage. - 'North Canterbury farmer Mat Bailey has invited me out 'with his family and the neighbours kids hunting feral cats.' Yeah, you can tell. It's actually a really sort of angry kind of animal. - Oh, they are, yeah. They're pretty psychotic. - This is not a domestic cat. - No, nah, nah. - You know, nobody's gonna mistake this. It's a big, angry, wild animal. - (HISSES) - What do the words 'feral cat' mean to you? - Basically, a destructive, feral, nasty predator, you know, and the apex predator is the issue. Nothing else hunts it. We've gotta do our part. (GUNSHOT) - And that's about as humane way of killing as you can get. - Instant. - Instant. - Didn't hear the bang. Lights out. - Mat's an organiser of the North Canterbury Hunting Competition, a community-run fundraiser for the Rotherham School and pool. But after public backlash, they withdrew the category for children to hunt feral cats. How have you found the attitude of some townies to your kids hunting cats? - We've copped, you know, the backlash about it, but our kids have grown up hunting, you know, gathering. They're just so used to it. You know? We're out there shooting the possums and the and the rabbits. You know, a cat's gonna go down if we see one too, cos it's feral. It's wild, and it shouldn't be here. (GUNSHOT) We're gonna take the side of our native species. You know, I haven't heard a tui, you know, in the bush around here for years or had a wood pigeon barrel on pass, you know, when I'm walking through. - Does it surprise you that feral cats aren't in Predator Free 2050? - Yeah, that's just madness. I don't know how we're gonna be predator free if they're not. - Just down the road is a nesting spot for the critically endangered black-fronted tern. There's as little as 5000 of them left. - We had 17 nests here last year, all taken over by cats. - All taken out by cats. - All taken out, yep. No survival at all. - Dave McKenzie is part of a volunteer conservation group. They've caught feral cats on camera killing these birds and eating their eggs. - We're probably 5 K's to 10 K's away from the nearest house. These aren't the cats that sit on the sofa at night; these are cats that live in the wild. A lot of time, effort, money and resources goes into these birds. They can actually finish the whole nesting season ` just one, two cats. That's all it takes. - Down at Rotherham, the hunting competition is underway. The crowds have gathered, but not everyone is into it. - Why is it a competition? Why is it glorified? If it's trying to conserve... trying to conserve wildlife, conserve nature. Is there a better way than this ` that is neutering, trapping, neutering, returning to nature? - Those here to hunt have come in their droves, bringing in hundreds of deer, possum, wild pigs and plenty of feral cats. Oh, these are whoppers. - Yeah, look at this bugger down here. - Whoa! - This is big cat. - Well, it's nearly bigger than Archie, isn't it? Like, if you go side by side. These are all in one` - This is all in one location. - One location. - One location. - I mean, a native animal comes within cooee of this, and it's all over. - History, yeah. - They're out of control. - They're out of control. They're out of control. They're out of control. (APPLAUSE) - OK, so pretty full on some of that stuff for a townie, and a real example of the urban-rural divide. And 243 feral cats were actually handed into that competition, which is a hell of a lot ` all humanely trapped, as you saw there, and then humanely dispatched, as you saw. And I just want to clear up a real mystery out there. People would have heard of the Canterbury panther down in the North Canterbury Plains there. Well, these feral cats are big, and the panther will just be one of them or many of them. - Yeah, PG, and that frustration from those guys in your story, that's echoed right across the country. These cats aren't just on farmland like you saw; they're near civilisation; they are everywhere. And I'm gonna take you later in the show to some places where we would not expect feral cats to be. - And, Karen, are you a cat person? - To be honest, PG, I'm more of a dog person, which I guess, as a lesbian, is slightly ironic, but... (LAUGHTER) No, I just` I just like dogs. - All right, well, moving right along. What`? What sort of mahi have you been up to tonight? - Well, interestingly enough... - (INHALES SHARPLY) - Are you all right, Isobel? - I'm good, Karen. - You're good. I also went rural for my story as well, so I headed all the way to Kirikiriroa to meet my new best friend. So, Baddy, lovely to meet you. Thank you for inviting me here to Kirikiriroa. - Thank you for coming. - Thank you. Now, look, obviously, what I need to know is ` what is your issue? - My issue is that we don't have a Hamilton anniversary day. (TRAIN RUMBLES LOUDLY) It's a unique place. We've got our own culture, our own people, and our own... ideas of how we like to live. It's totally separate to Auckland. So why not have`? - So what you need is your own anniversary day. - Too right. (BIRDS SQUAWK, DUCKS QUACK) Well, let me take you on a tour of my Kirikiriroa Hamilton. - I can't wait. Let's do it. - Let's go. - The camera's in the way. - # Let's do the Time Warp again. - Yeah, we're doing the Time Warp. - What the (BLEEP) is that? - You know, the dance from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. - I've never seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show. - I can teach you. It's just a jump to the left. - I think this is what Hamilton does well is a dump shop and an op shop. Everything's on the same street. You turn the corner ` there's more clubs. We also have amazing car washes. Me and all my friends stop when we see a train go past and stare at it. - # Let's do the Time Warp again. Who needs to go to England, Italy, Japan or Greece when you can experience them all in the famous Hamilton Gardens. - I'm here with Karen O'Leary, and today we're trying to get a Hamilton anniversary day. - Do it! Yeah! - Definitely the jewel in Hamilton's crown. - So you definitely think Waikato should have its own day... - Absolutely. - ...and that vacuum cleaner Auckland should just get on out and stick to its own city. - Build the wall. - ON VIDEO: Do it! Yeah! Before we go ahead and build the wall, I need to know the history of why Hamilton celebrates Auckland's day. So I got in touch with Dr Andre Brett at Curtin University to find out. You're at Curtin University. Do you also cover, like, carpets? - (LAUGHS) - So, the Waikato, it doesn't have its own anniversary day; it just has to be lumped in with Auckland. I mean, Canterbury and South Canterbury have got their own days. Can you make that make sense for me? - There are 14 regional anniversary holidays, which are based on the historical boundaries of New Zealand's former provinces. The provinces were abolished in 1876, but their boundaries survive for various purposes, including the provincial or now regional anniversary holidays. The anniversary day covers everything from the actual city of Auckland to Hamilton to Tauranga, all the way over to Gisborne. - I mean, do you think that's typical Auckland behaviour? - (LAUGHS) Well, this is the interesting thing. In the early 20th century, some ambitious Aucklanders tried to propose that Auckland Anniversary day should be a national public holiday. This went down like a lead balloon in the rest of the country. - Let's say we wanted to give Waikato its own anniversary day to celebrate itself as a region. Can you think of what would be a good event to align this anniversary day with, in your opinion? - For the regional anniversaries to be, you know, really effective, they should celebrate the communities that we actually have today. What can we do to celebrate ourselves? (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - OK. Back up the bus. Back the bus up State Highway 1. Hamilton doesn't have its own anniversary day. - No, they don't, Paddy, and, I mean, the thing is it's not even just Hamilton and Waikato; it's basically... Look, I'll show you here. It's the whole top of` Can you guys see that? The whole top of the North Island ` you know, Northland all the way down here. We've got Gisborne, Bay of Plenty. Basically, look. - Karen, did you get that tattoo just for the show? - Yeah, I'm committed. (LAUGHTER) They put the South Island in the wrong place, but I'll just cancel that bit out. - You know what, guys ` I mean, I'm from Hamilton and growing up, we didn't care. You know, a holiday's a holiday. - Ye... Well, that's kind of a typical Hamilton attitude, potentially. But, look, you know... (LAUGHTER) ...the fact of the matter is that I am still committed to solving this issue, because this, to quote, PG, should be an issue for all of us, and especially the people of Hamilton and Waikato. - OK. Wowee. Now, coming up ` Isobel takes us cat hunting in the high country, where rangers say half the dead birds were killed by feral cats. And Karen confronts the Labour MP and the National MP for Hamilton. Which one will take her demands seriously? (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Nau mai, hoki mai. Welcome back, Kiwis. Isobel is about to show us how the ugly pests that are feral cats are destroying some of the most beautiful places in Aotearoa. But I am craving some news, and I know who can help me out with my addiction ` my very own news desk, Eli and Courtney. What has been going on around New Zealand this week? - Well, you want it, you got it, Paddy. Let's take a look at how New Zealand has issues this week. Chris Hipkins. He's just returned from his first big trip to China as prime minister. And judging by this footage, he got through everything on the agenda. - The PM indulging in his infamous home comfort offshore ` no trip complete without it any more. - Oh, it's very good. - What an absolutely gutting legacy ` to be the sausage roll prime minister. (LAUGHTER) - Apparently, they asked him if he wanted to wash it down with Fanta, and he said, 'What did you call me?' (LAUGHTER) - Look, I just hope that he left room for dessert. And by dessert, I mean another Labour Party scandal. Because this week it was Minister Kiri Allan who came under fire for yelling at a public servant. Reportedly, she yelled so loud on the phone that the whole office on the other end could hear it. - But the PM said staff hearing the incident could, in fact, be boiled down to phone volume. - It depends on the volume of the phone. - Was that too flippant for the situation? - No. - Are you trying to undermine the account of that official... - No. - ...by talking about phone volume? - No. (LAUGHTER) - I don't know. If you don't want people yelling at public servants, maybe you should stop calling them 'servants'. - Yeah, fair call. Look, Kiri has had to have a few days off just to have her voice recover, but she remains the Minister of Justice, the regional development and the minister of making sure people (BLEEP)ing get it. (LAUGHTER) - And while Chippy's ministers keep going down, unruly teenagers have been going up on to the roof of the Korowai Manaaki youth justice residence. They escaped and were on the roof for 40 hours. But there's been a lot of talk about whether they were lured down by... - ...an offer of KFC. Is that right? Were they given KFC when they got off the roof? And if so, why? Were they given KFC? - Well, they were given food. When people had been` - But it wasn't KFC. - So what did they get? - We did give them takeaways, so they got... KFC. (LAUGHTER) - They should not have been rewarded with KFC. They should have been punished with Subway. (LAUGHTER) - To be honest, it truly is the perfect negotiation tool. As my own teenage son says, 'Don't even talk to me till I've had my morning Tower Burger.' (LAUGHTER) - While the cold weather was bad for kids on the roof, it's been great news for our ski season. Just in time for school holidays ` look at this excitement. - We were very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very excited to see snow. - Man, it is looking like we've got some fresh powder coming in over the next two days. Ye-ah! - Sheesh, that weather looks colder than a Kiri Allan performance review. - Ooh. - Yikes. Hey, look, that's all from us, Paddy. We actually refuse to do any more jokes until you give us some KFC. - Ye-ah. (APPLAUSE) - No KFC for you; it's Subway. And it's a kiddie-sized ham and cheese with no salt and pepper. All right. Now back to cats and how they are controlled in New Zealand, and why isn't it working? It's time to go behind the issues. (APPLAUSE) Now, the first cats arrived in New Zealand way back in 1769. Early Europeans had them on board to control rodents, but we quickly got a feral population. And it is really important to understand here that these cats have been breeding in the wild for well over 200 years. And cats breed really fast ` two litters a year from the age of 4 months, three to six kittens per litter. They breed six times faster than possums. And, of course, when domestic cats stray or get dumped, they breed, and their offspring, who have never had human contact, become officially feral. And we have not helped this either. Farmers released cats to try and control the rabbits. Spoiler alert ` it didn't work. It's hard to know exactly, but some have estimated 2.5 million feral cats on our motu, and they are killing machines. They kill our lizards, our bats, and an estimated 100 million birds a year. Now, a cat wouldn't kill a dolphin, would it? Wrong. Toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that lives in cat poo, gets into the waterways, kills Maui and Hector's dolphins, and also makes sheep miscarry. Now, Predator Free 2050 gives us strategies, targets and funding to get rid of our most deadly pests. But it deliberately ignores feral cats. We are too chicken to target them for one reason ` people like domestic cats. But a newsflash ` feral cats do not want cheeseburgers. And take a moment to admire this new meme. All right. We really do give cats special treatment in this country. For instance, we have regulations to control dogs, but the only law about owning a cat in New Zealand is you have to take care of it. No microchipping law, no wandering law, no desexing law. And that makes for happy cats at home. But our native species are far from happy when there's a 7kg monster like this one out there with only one thing on its mind ` killing them. (APPLAUSE) - So at that hunting competition you were at, Paddy, in North Canterbury, they got 243 cats, I think, which is a huge number. But there were a lot of people ` hundreds, I think, and a lot of resource. Now, to deal with the feral cat problem, we need that level of resource to be replicated across the country. I'm gonna take you into the mountains near Glenorchy, where we meet Chrissy, who's a trapper for the Southern Lake Sanctuary Trust. And small groups like this are just holding the line against feral cats. And it's particularly important in areas like this, which are buffer zones between farmland and the national parks. - So a lot of these birds around the South Island are tracked. And when they're found dead, we can send DNA samples off to find out what predator has killed them. 50% of those birds are killed by feral cats. - Wow. And those cats, how big are we talking? - They can get up to 7 kilos, potentially more. - So the cats roam pretty high. - They do, yeah. There's no limit, really, to how high they go. So they'll climb over ridges, up to the peaks of a lot of the mountains. Sadly, they're built to hunt. They've got lots of incredible features that make them incredible predators. They're really, really stealthy. They've got incredible hearing, eyesight. Being nocturnal as well ` a lot of New Zealand species come out at night. So pretty efficient hunters. Sorry, just to interrupt. The cage is actually just here. It's sprung, but there's nothing in there. - How much harder is it to catch cats than the other pest species that you're trapping? - I'd say it's a lot harder, because they are so wary. They're curious animals, but they're also quite wary of anything new. So a big metal cage might look really different to them. It is a huge process. Lots of planning where to put the cages, what to bait them with. - I guess, what is it that brings you out here? Why do you do this? Because killing cats is not a pleasant thing to have to do. - No, I'd love it if I didn't have to, honestly. I love cats. You know, no conservationist goes into this kind of work because we love killing things, but we've brought these mammals in, and we need to do something, because we're losing species. We're losing them very quickly. I think the door's open from what I can see, which means we've caught nothing. Oh! No, door is down, so we'll have to go and investigate. - So that means there might be something in there? - There might be something in there, yes. So we'll head over quietly. There's a little possum. - Right, so what are you gonna do now? - So I'll have to dispatch him. (GUNSHOT) - You know, you think this is quite benign work. Helen Blackie is a predator ecologist. She studied feral cats around the country for over 20 years. Today, she's on the outskirts of South Auckland, setting up cameras to monitor the different types of predators in the area. So, how many possums are there around here versus feral cats? - 10, 15 years ago, I would say way more possums than feral cats. In the last few years, what we're seeing now in some sites is at least equal numbers. And there are some sites where we've been doing research where we've picked up more feral cats on cameras. - Do we have enough data on the impact of feral cats on our biodiversity? - Not to the extent that it needs to be. What's become apparent over the years is a lot of groups that are making really great efforts to control key pest species are really scared to add feral cats to that list of species they're controlling. And what they're concerned about is as soon as they start mentioning that they want to control cats, people will say, 'Well, hang on, you know, I'm not supportive of that. 'I'm worried about my pet cat.' - So we know how bad ferrets, stoats, rats, possums are. How do feral cats compare? - Definitely just as bad. In some circumstances, probably worse. They can kill 10 to 20 prey items within a day. Feral cats kill approximately 100 million native species a year. So we are detecting feral cats up in the beaches of Northland. We're detecting feral cats in urban parkland and up in the Murchison Mountains. The feral cats are right across New Zealand. (APPLAUSE) - Wow. Wow. - Yeah. So, PG, as you heard from Helen there, cats are everywhere, but they're really elusive. They're so hard to trap. No one ever sees them. And that's actually part of the problem, cos people go, 'I've been out in the bush. I haven't seen a feral cat.' So in my next story, I stayed with Chrissy in the mountains to see if we can actually get one of these feral cats. - OK. Outstanding work. Now, coming up ` Isobel and Chrissy are up in those mountains checking those traps. And Karen refuses ` refuses ` to get distracted by politicians as she demands that Hamilton gets its own holiday. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Welcome back, Kiwis. Well, it is about to get very real when Chrissy and Isobel check those traps in the southern mountains. But right now, Karen ` you've been to the wilderness already. Hamilton. - Yep. - But now you're gonna go somewhere way, way, way more feral ` Parliament. (LAUGHTER) - Well, look, you know, obviously, as always, I did extensive research into this investigation, and I found out in order to change a public holiday, you know, for Hamilton specifically, what I needed to do` the best way to do that is to get an MP to submit a private member's bill. So I went and meet the members for Hamilton down at the Beehive. Now, look, I know as a Wellingtonian there's been some things said about people from Hamilton. What do you think about those stereotypes that people from Hamilton tend to get? - Totally undeserved. Hamilton is a fantastic spot. In the heart of the mighty Waikato. You know, you can get to anywhere from Hamilton. (LAUGHTER) - You can get to anywhere from anywhere, can't you? (CRICKETS CHIRP) As someone that was a Waikato-ian... Is that the official term? - No, but we can run with it. - OK, great. As a Waikato-ian, how do you feel personally about having to share Auckland's anniversary day? ` Look, it's not something that's in the top 10 of issues I've had brought to my attention from constituents. - It is the top issue for my best friend, Baddy. - Right. Oh, I see. Oh. - That's why I'm here. Do you remember then specifically what you did on Auckland Anniversary Day this year? - I have zero recollection. - I think maybe that's because it was Auckland's Anniversary Day. It didn't mean anything to you. Do you have an idea of what day would be good to celebrate Hamilton/Waikato Anniversary Day? If you could choose a day as a person that lives there, that loves there? - Friday. - Sorry, I was thinking more specifically. Which Friday? So the National guy just gave me Friday, and I wasn't satisfied. So I went to see the Labour MP for Hamilton East ` Jamie Strange. 'It is a very serious office with a mini golf course in it.' You did hit it very straight. - Yeah. - Straight's not really my forte. You've got so many National coloured pens and only two Labour coloured pens. I mean, we could fix this quite easily. You just... - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Chuck those ones over there and then just have the red ones. That's better. Yeah. We don't really need that. Yeah, no. We love our Auckland neighbours. In saying that, we'd certainly welcome the opportunity to stand alone. - Can you remember specifically what you were doing on Auckland Anniversary Day? - I was probably with the family having a swim. You'd be very welcome. - I noticed you've got a guitar. Can you play it? - Let's maybe work on a song. - OK. Grab your guitar. Yep. - Yep. - # Hamilton needs an anniversary day. # Hamilton, I think it's coming your way. # Can you pick a day as a Hamiltonian that you think would be a really special time for Hamilton to have its own anniversary day? - The 25th of June. Just picking a day at random. - Yeah. - Could be worth exploring. - 25th of June. You just like the number 25, or you... ? - Well, I mean, it may or may not be my birthday, but... (CRICKETS CHIRP) - I did actually have a sit down with Tim van de Molen about this great idea. He was also very non-committal about doing anything proactive about making this happen for Baddy and for the people of Waikato. So I'm putting the challenge to you. What can you do to basically beat him? - Well, I think it'll be important discussion for the whole country as we lead up to the election. - So I've gotta talk to everyone in the country? - I think a petition would be good. And if you do write a petition, then I'd be happy to lodge that for you. - # It might be the 25th June # or maybe a summer afternoon. # It's Waikato Anniversary Day. # (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Now, I could not help but notice what you were wearing in those political interviews. You were wearing Labour colours when you interviewed the National guy and you were wearing National and Act colours when you interviewed the Labour guy. What were you doing, trying to rark them up? - Well, I mean, obviously it was fashion first. I mean, obviously, that... (LAUGHTER) And it just so happened that I know what politicians are like, so I had to work out a way to get them behind the eight ball. So I just thought I'd wear something that maybe would put them a little bit off so I could make sure that I could achieve my results. - All right. All right. You really do go all in on these things. And Isobel, you go all in as well. I know that you love the great outdoors. You know, what was it like being out there? - Well, PG, this is a part of the country that is so dear to my heart. I love being out tramping. The sound of birdsong when you're out in the bush, I think there's nothing more Kiwi than that. So the idea that you're also surrounded when you're in these remote places by feral cats trying to kill those birds, it's just shocking. So that's why I was so keen to see Chrissy's work. - All right. And a warning before this one as well ` there is a bit of footage here that is going to be confronting for some people. (BIRD SONG) (TENSE MUSIC) The team at Southern Lakes Sanctuary trap cats all around Central Otago. We know that cats don't like to be out and about in the cold and wet. This is the first fine weather they've had an ages, so we're heading out again and Chrissy and the team are hoping they'll have better luck today. What do you tell people about what you do? Is that difficult? - CHRISSY: Yeah. When out in the field, for example, if hikers ask, you know, 'What are you doing?' I, sort of try, and gauge whether they are familiar with pest control before even talking about the cat situation. - Wow. So you really have to, kind of, warm people up to the cats topic. - Exactly, which can be quite tricky. - Tell me about what the goal is, what you're working towards. - Really excitingly, we are planning to release takahe up here, so we need to do as much predator control work that we can, in particular with feral cats to give them the best chance when they are released. - Do you think about that when you're out here and you're doing this work, you know, just how special that is` - Yes. - ...to release a species, a taonga species, back into this part of the country? - Oh, it really is. And it just gives us a goal post, you know, something to work towards. Imagine walking one of our great walks in New Zealand and just coming across one. It just` it's amazing. Especially in this area where they haven't been for centuries. (TENSE MUSIC) (CLICK) So... the door in this cage is down. And so we're just gonna slowly and quietly walk over to see if we have caught anything. I've already loaded the gun, so it can be a really quick process. - There's some movement in the traps. - OK, so we do have a cat. Yep. So... I'm just gonna... head over there. (CAGE RATTLES) (RATTLING CONTINUES) (QUIET GUNSHOT) - (EXHALES SHAKILY) Wow. Even... Man, even though you know that that's necessary, that is... really hard to watch. And how do you feel in that` in that moment? - It's hard. Yeah. Really hard. But what's really good, too, is I know that I care about that animal's welfare. So, the fact that it's in my hands... Yeah, it makes it` makes it a little bit more comfortable because I want it to be as quick as possible. - So, what do you do now that you've dispatched the cat? - So, I'm just going to check to see if it's male or female for our records. If it's a female, we'll most likely leave it close to the cage, just buried in the leaf litter on the ground here. And that will hopefully entice males to come in. So the scent of her will bring them in, which then will hopefully` They'll go into the cage. - We've had about 40 cats in this area. - Wow. Just in this small area? 40? - Yep. Goes to show how many there actually are out there. And we're actually about to come up to a cage shortly. We've actually got another cat. Yeah, there's another cat in there. - Wow. So, two cats that you've caught within a couple of hundred metres. - Yep. - It really just shows the scale of the problem you guys are dealing with. - Yeah, it does. And it shows projects like us need to be around to carry on with this work. Yeah. - (INHALES) Well, I'll let you get on with it. - OK. Thank you. (BIRD CHIRPS) I know. I'm sorry. (SNIFFS) (GUN CLICKS) (QUIET GUNSHOT) (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) (APPLAUSE) - Whoa. Whoa. So, what does that make you feel? - Confronting, obviously. But you can see Chrissy there ` the care that she takes ` that is a quick death. And when cats are properly trapped, when it's done properly, when it's checked, they check those traps every day to make sure the cat's not staying in there longer than it needs to be. They're identified as feral and humanely killed. That's just the best result for that animal. And this work that Chrissy does requires funding. And the tough part is that there is actually no certainty, PG, beyond June next year around that funding. - All right. Fantastic work, Isobel. Now, coming up ` Isobel finds out from the former head of the Department of Conservation why we aren't taking cat control seriously and what we need to do about it. And Karen's campaign for a special holiday for Hamilton gains a huge groundswell of momentum. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Nau mai, hoki mai. Welcome back, Kiwis. We are about to find out whose fault it is that we don't control feral cats properly in this country. But first, I've feed them some Subway, so I'm allowed to go back to the news desk. Eli and Courtney, let's see how The World Has Issues. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Thank you, Paddy. Well, China has been dealing with their issues. They've announced that they will achieve their wind and solar power targets five years ahead of schedule, cementing them as the world leader in renewable energy. Reports suggest that the country will have more solar capacity than the rest of the world combined, and they make a pretty good sausage roll. (LAUGHTER) Just so you know, China, no one has more solar power than Aotearoa, OK? Particularly 100,000 unsold copies of Lorde's album, Solar Power. (LAUGHTER) - You know what? That's incredible. Give 'em Taiwan, I reckon. (LAUGHTER) - Stick to the news. Stick to the news. - Heading across the ditch now, and Australia has become the first country to allow psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA to patients with PTSD, and psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms to people who have hard to treat depression. Unfortunately, though, some of the side effects include nausea, tiredness and pashing Sarah from accounts. (LAUGHTER) - And some big health news out of the USA ` the sweetener aspartame found in Diet Coke is set to be listed as possibly carcinogenic to humans for the first time by the World Health Organisation, meaning its consumption may lead to cancer. Pepsi Max said, 'Hey, we cause cancer too.' But nobody cared. - Aw. Poor Pepsi Max. - Actually, you know what? I've always thought it was weird that Diet Coke was marketed specifically towards women, but now I know why ` they were trying to kill women. - Whoa. (SCATTERED LAUGHTER, MUTTERING) - You don't believe me? Look at what they wrote on the can. (LAUGHTER) Yeah. Planned it all along. - There's been more royal drama in the UK. Harry and Meghan have officially moved out of their beloved Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Rumours suggest King Charles has earmarked the now vacant premises for Prince Andrew. Damn, I hope their moving truck doesn't have to go through a tunnel in Paris. (LAUGHTER, GROANING) Sources say when the king told Andrew he's moving to Frogmore, Andrew said he'd prefer Tadpole-More. (LAUGHTER) But whatever he gets up to in there, it's probably Meghan's fault anyway. Back to you, Paddy. (APPLAUSE) - Thank you, my little tadpoles. All right. We're going to... We're now going back to Isobel, who's going to meet the former director general of the Department of Conservation, Lou Sanson. - That's right, PG. And you'll hear him talk about something called Trap-Neuter`Release which is what some people around the country want to do. But that just lets the cats back out to kill more. Trap, neuter release was a big, big frustration for Lou Sanson, but what his biggest frustration was, which he admitted to me, is not getting cats into Predator Free 2050. (PENSIVE MUSIC) - So, Lou, do you want to tell me about where we are? - LOU: Well, this is Blanket Bay, and... the people that own here have just a vision of restoring farmland to nature, and... this is what you can do in 10 years of planting to bring back birds. (BIRD CHIRPS) - Part of that vision is to try to keep all predators at bay ` predators including feral cats. Despite that, there are signs of feral cats everywhere. - So, there we go. There's a cat poo or a scat, and you can tell it because the little white bits sticking out, those are the quills, the end of the feathers. That's probably a fantail. - Lou Sanson was in charge of DOC in 2017 when the government decided not to include feral cats in its goal to wipe out predators by 2050. - Predator Free is the greatest benefit that New Zealand could ever have to its balance sheet if we could actually get rid of rats, stoats, possums, and, in my view, cats. It would completely change the nation. - And you say, 'in my view, cats'. It's not everyone's view? - No. Well... New Zealand's got one of the highest cat owner per person in the world. And if you're creating a movement, the last thing you want to do is take on this huge movement that supports cats. - This support has resulted in conservation groups being too scared to publicly tackle the feral cat problem. As a result, there are huge funding and knowledge gaps. Shouldn't it be the Department of Conservation that's taking more leadership? - As Director General for DOC, I hold some responsibility. We were doing so much research on stoats, on rats and possums, but we're missing cats. We need to know the best baits, the best lures, the best type of traps, best camera system. We need to know the most effective and efficient way of killing feral cats. - And, so, going back to Predator Free 2050, why couldn't we just include cats? - One of my frustrations was the inability to include cats in the Predator Free movement. And what I was trying to work with SPCA is to understand that this movement to bring back birds to New Zealand is as strong, if not stronger, than the ability to own a cat. And can we bring these two together? I did have some incredibly good dialogue with SPCA chief executives. I got really frustrated by this Trap-Neuter-Release program. When I think, 'These cats are doing so much damage'. So we have to take it off. (KITTENS MEWL) - How long have you had him? The dog? - So, I've had him for six years. - 'Arnja Dale is the SPCA's Chief scientific officer.' 'She took over the position just after the decision 'was made to exclude cats from Predator Free 2050.' - Did SPCA at that time allow emotion to get in the way of making a decision? - (STAMMERS, LAUGHS) So, I've been in my role as a chief scientific officer for, what, seven and a half years now? So I can categorically say since that time, everything has been evidence based, everything has supporting research behind it. It is possible, historically, yes, but certainly not in the current framework. ` So does the SPCA support the humane killing of feral cats? - Where it's justified? Yes, we do. - What does that mean, where it's justified? - Well, we're very careful around the wording that we use. - Our ultimate goal is that all cats are cats on laps. Our ultimate goal is that we don't have any stray cats in New Zealand and we don't have any feral cats in New Zealand. That's a journey, our long term journey, and we need other tools to manage our other types of cats. - Just in terms of the conversation here, what are the things that you're having to, sort of, skirt around? - Well, I think it's because... when you start talking about humane cat management, sometimes people take a polarised view around that. We support the right outcomes for all species. - OK. So, just to be clear, the SPCA does support humane killing of feral cats. - Absolutely. We do. We support that. - Everywhere? - Feral cats? Yes. Feral cats. That's the right outcome. (CHEERING) - Wow. Wowee. - Yeah. Now, PG, I want to give the SPCA some credit here because that was huge from them, that admission. That is a massive change from their position in the past where they were really cat friendly and you could see their how hard it was for SPCA's chief scientific officer, she was balancing the need to be led by science, by the need to take the right line on cats, cos they have their enormous donation base of cat lovers that they've gotta keep happy. - Yeah. OK. And the other big issue for me, the really big issue about this, is how do we keep innocent domesticated cats from getting caught up in this? And there was some tragic news out of North Canterbury this week. A family cat called Tom was killed potentially by a rogue hunter, Isobel. How do we stop that sort of thing from happening? - And I think, PG, the timing of that is tragic, but that just shows exactly why we need a plan and funding to do this job properly, so that feral cats can be identified, killed humanely, and we don't have cowboys out there trying to take things into their own hands. - AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah. - All right. Yeah, exactly. And, Karen` - Mm-hm. - We could never trap you, could we? - Can I go? - No. No, No. (LAUGHTER) No. You're meant to stay on your mission. - No, I'm not finished anyway. Look. No, obviously` So, I've done all this research. I needed to work out what the perfect day would be to celebrate this amazing Hamilton Anniversary Day, which I know you're excited about. So, like I said, I did the research. I was scouring the history books, searching for the perfect day. There had to be a date that could work for everyone. - Friday. - The 25th of June. - It seemed like an impossible task... Unless we copy exactly what Christchurch did. Christchurch moved their holiday to coincide with the A&P Show Day. What if Hamilton did the same for Fieldays? - Hey. (RATTLING) (IMITATES ENGINE) - You're Karen, aren't you? - Yes, I am. I heard you say my name, which is why I chased you. - So, what do you want? - Can you tell me what day is Hamilton or Waikato Anniversary Day? - No. (LAUGHS) - Nah. I wouldn't have a clue. - (LAUGHS) Nah. - Couldn't tell you. - Well, you probably don't have a clue cos Hamilton doesn't have one. You're right. - What? - For real? - Yeah. I mean, it's just the outrageous thing that I'm` Yeah. Yeah, I know. Just calm down. Like` Hang on. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. When do you reckon would be a good time to have Hamilton Anniversary Day? When you have it? Or Waikato? - I'm not sure. - What about, like... Today feels like a pretty good day. You reckon? - Yeah. - Well, I'm actually going to take a petition to parliament to try and get you guys your holiday. Would you be happy to sign this? - Go for it. - Thank you. Just put your name on there. Would you like just your own special day? - No. - Any of you guys want your own holiday? You can just write with that hand, even if you're not left-handed. So, that's your right hand, anyway. Chippy's gonna say, 'Yep, give them a holiday!' Eh, Chippy? Fieldays was much more than just a great day out. It was also the place I was able to get... 14 names on my petition. It's time to take it into Parliament and see if I can make this change. Hello? (VOICE ECHOES) Thanks. (VOICE ECHOES) 'And if the petition didn't work, these celebrity endorsements 'sure would.' - Hello, everybody. Pax Assadi here. Alumni of Hillcrest High School in the beautiful city of Hamilton. Being a proud Matamata boy, I'm all for Waikato having its own public holiday. - And no longer needing to celebrate Auckland Anniversary weekend. - We've got our own river. We've got our own beer. We've got our own rugby team. I think it's about time we had our own holiday. - So, help us cut those ties with the Aucklanders. - Cut the umbilical cord. - Let's get Waikato it's own public holiday. Woo! - Up, the 'tron, baby. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - OK, Karen, you've had a spectacular hit rate of success on this show, but on this one, you've achieved absolutely nothing. There is no... (LAUGHTER) - Well, I'd beg to differ. But you know what? This doesn't end here for me, Paddy. because I am committed to getting this holiday through. So I've actually set up my very own petition, and anyone out there, you guys can sign this at change.org. Get on there. Give Hamilton and Waikato its own day. And then you know what? Gisborne could be next. Bay of Plenty. All of you. Anyone that wants a holiday, get in touch with me. (LAUGHTER) - And also, if anybody needs Karen, please email us at issues@paddygower.co.nz. Now, coming up ` I sit down with the minister in charge of Predator Free 2050 to find out if she'll promise to finally do something about feral cats. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Welcome back, Kiwis. This whole episode, everyone we have spoken to has come to one conclusion ` it is madness that feral cats aren't included in Predator Free 2050. Now, there is one person in this country with the power to make that happen. So I sat down with the Minister of Conservation, Willow Gene-Prime. Minister, do you agree that feral cats are a threat to our native wildlife, wherever it may be? - The general message is, is that we know that feral cats are an issue, they do pose a threat to our native species, and I think that's a conversation and an education process that we need to have with Aotearoa, with the` with the New Zealand public. - Why aren't feral cats in Predator Free 2050? - When they developed the first strategy, the feedback from the public at that time was possums, rats, stoats, mustelids. It was not` it did not include cats. There was strong feedback from the public at that time that it shouldn't include cats. However, in 2024, we begin the process of reviewing that strategy. - And if the public say feral cats are not special, feral cats need to die to save our native species, then that's what the department will do? - So, I can't predetermine the outcome of that process. But certainly, my understanding is that the feedback that we receive from the public will be very informative in terms of the decision. - And the SPCA have said they would be happy with the humane removal of feral cats anywhere in New Zealand. Does that sort of start to open things up, do you think? - Well, certainly I would expect they will be one of the groups that would perhaps look to participate in that review and provide that feedback. And, you know... it's... something that they may wish to share with other people because that could have been some of the reasons people didn't feel it was appropriate. - So, long story short, Kiwis are gonna get to have a say on whether feral cats are included` included in Predator Free 2050. - That's right. Kiwis are going to be able to participate in the review of the Predator Free 2050 strategy, on whether it should include feral cats or not. And that review will start in 2024. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Wow. This is massive news, PG. And all the trappers out there, the ones that I've met like Chrissy, are gonna be so excited about this announcement. And I just really hope that New Zealanders are as ready for this as everyone out there, the trappers doing the mahi, because they're the ones that are telling us that we're running out of time. - Yeah. All right. Well, thank you, Isobel, for your amazing investigations tonight. Thank you, Karen, also for your investigations. And of course, to our newsdeskers, Eli and Courtney. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) And Isobel's right ` a massive result for New Zealand. And for me, it goes like this. Imagine a New Zealand where a kiwi could just roam free and takahe were not endangered and black-fronted terns were abundant. In fact, one where there were so many native long-tailed bats that they actually became a little bit bloody annoying. That's the Aotearoa New Zealand that we could have without predators. But we can't have it if we don't take on feral cats. I honestly wish there was another way, but sadly there just isn't. Again ` this isn't about domestic cats. We have got to separate feral cats from domestic cats in our minds, When this Predator Free 2050 review happens next year, we can't be squeamish about it. We have got to do the right thing and put feral cats on the list. It must` it must have a strategy to make sure our domestic cats are kept safe and that we are as humane as possible. Like I said, our native species, our taonga species, are so special. Feral cats, though, are not special. They need to die. I'm Paddy Gower. Those were my issues, and I'm gonna miss youse. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023