Savannah cats - petition

[alex_c]

Great news

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23897013-662,00.html

 

[TonyPeacock]

Good news on Savannahs

The Minister for the Environment has taken a really good stand and acted quickly on this issue. Good on you guys for petitioning and keeping a media spotlight on the issue.

I've reprinted the Minister's statement on my blog www.feral.typepad.com

The draft risk assessment by the Department is very damning of Savannahs. It rates the risk to public saftey posed by captive or released animals as "moderately dangerous"; the risk of establishing a wild population as "extreme" and the risk of becoming a pest following establishment as "extreme".

At first glance, this would seem to put the kibosh on the cats coming to Australia. The EPBC Act requires the Minister to exercise the precautionary principle, so it would be hard to allow them given this risk assessment. If they are allowed, they'll probably be extremely tough restrictions, I imagine.

There is a 20 day comment period and the Invasive Animals CRC will certainly put a strong case that the draft risk assessment has got it right and the cats are better off left in the USA.

Any decision only relates to Savannah cats and we need to press that any hybrid breed needs careful examination. Better to have the default position that any hybrid stays out and a person wanting to bring one in has to show proof that it is no risk to the environment.

Keep getting people to sign the petition - there is now one in favour of these cats - many people clearly don't understand the issue.

Thanks again, snake people.

 

[Hetty]

Here's a quote from the link Tony Peacock posted:
"An online herpetology discussion group spontaneously started a petition that has over 1000 signatures in a little over a day."

Go us!

The minister reviewing this is a very positive thing. Hopefully we can keep these cats out of the country.

 

[Lovemysnakes]

Yeah - done and dusted

 

[xycom]

As mentioned above the laws need to be changed for all Hybrids..! What's next? A Leopard X perhaps

The petition at http://www.snakerescue.com.au will be closing soon, not sure when. We will be sending it to Senator Christine Milne and TRYIING to get her to present it to the Senate next Thursday. I only hope we have sent it to her in time and it conforms to the Senate rules for petitions. We only just found out when the Senate was meeting.

Thank you to all those who have signed! There's still time to get more names on the list!



Per

 

[bundy_zigg]

imagine what you could all do if you made a peteion to make laws against keeping cat that are not desexed and the way in which they are kept? I find it funny that there are regulations regarding dogs and the way in which they are kept(rego, fenced yard) but there is nothing regards to cats. It doesnt take a smart person to figure out the likelyness of escape if they are leagaly allowed out doors with no registration! In QLD we can not keep rabbits or ferits but i can keep as many cats as i like with out any real responsability to their needs. Our government has caused these problems(not to mention bad owners) the cat its self should not be persicuted. In saying all this i do believe that the savannah should not be allowed in to australia because we have already proven we can not be responsable owners.

 

[Mulcahy]

Signed

 

[Wild~Touch]

Three cheers for you Tony Peacock for alerting us of something drastic that was going to happen, ie sneaked in the back door. Too late once the hybrids are in Oz.
Cheers
Sandee

 

[Noongato]

I want a savannah.....

 

[herptrader]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23897013-662,00.html

MMmmm...

Last night Mr Parker, of Savannah Cats Australia, who has spent five years on plans to breed the cats and sell them for about $5000 each, accused Mr Garrett of not doing his homework.

Coming from somebody who plans to make a quarter of a million dollars in turnover in the first year what else would you expect him to say!

 

[herptrader]

I want a savannah.....

I am hopeful that moving to the US is your only option.

 

[Fuscus]

The story has just hit ABC TV. Footage of the animals jumping was very impressive. We REALLY don't want these in the country and people who import/buy these must really hate our remaining wildlife.
Off course, the really stupid thing is that people can import ANY cat at all.

 

[daniel1234]

Both my cats and myself have signed the petition (no I am not kidding I really did sign it as I hate uncontrolled/ferrel cats, in fact I don't really like the ones we have but at least I know where they are and they can't reproduce).

 

[daniel1234]

The story has just hit ABC TV. Footage of the animals jumping was very impressive. We REALLY don't want these in the country and people who import/buy these must really hate our remaining wildlife.
Off course, the really stupid thing is that people can import ANY cat at all.

And not snakes, love those boas.

 

[moosenoose]

And not snakes

No, but you have take your pick of exotic birds, fish, dogs and cats I'm sure ferrets are nearly a native Australian animal now Let's keep it in mind that the reason exotic snakes aren't allowed into this country is simply because they have scales....and are slimy killing machines So god-damn typical that just about everything else gets passed and brought through because they can "control it" and the stuff they haven't a clue about is a potential environmental time-bomb! I just love double-standards! If this cat was an exotic snake they'd have buckleys bringing it in! Absolute BUCKLEYS!

 

[daniel1234]

That works for a while, but you can't say it will work down the track.

I don't think anyone thinks these animals will be feral straight away, but in ten or twenty years it's a possibility.

Exactly:|

Edit:
Wrote my two posts before reading whole (long) thread. Good to see it is worth the effort, that some one important is listening, Metal Jazz gets a vote both ways for me (I don't agree with the rational but do with the whole whats the thread for bit) and thanks for expanding on my point moosenoose, thats precisely what I was implying.

Well done guys.

 

[xycom]

As sad as it may seem but I think Australias biodiversity is doomed. It seems to be very hard to control people with $$ signs for eyes, especially when many of them run the country.


Per

 

[Boney]

i hate cats ! they do alot of damage on native animals . but so do alot of other things . there are people who like cats so let them have them . they should just be made to house them correctly . . pretty sure there are people who dont want us to have reptiles in captivity i know our permits are for natives , but still why make it harder for other people . and yes i do care for our wildlife .

 

[tooninoz]

Given the Govts new draft submission, the petition will be extended til early July. It is currently near 4500 and given the publicity it is receiving in the media, should go close to 20,000 by that time.
Great work! Good to see Australians standing up for Australian native wildlife

Lets show the Govt and the ignorant that we wont abide by laws that allow more pests into the country. Havent we learnt from the Cane Toad? Rabbit? Fox?

Carly Parker (Australian importer) has a pro-Savannah petition as well, as has been documented on previous pages. That petition is struggling to reach 400 signatures, and nearly all of them are from the US. There has been some Australians sign it allegedly.

 

[nuthn2do]

Add these petition links to your email sig.
I'm not even mentioning the cause and 60% of people i've email have signed