Savannah cats banned from Australia - Yahoo!7 News
Environment Minister for Australia Peter Garrett has banned savannah cats from Australia, saying they pose an extreme risk to native animals and the environment.
Fairfax says that after receiving more than 500 submissions on the issue, Mr Garrett said he would change the legal definition of "domestic cat" to rule out cats with the genes of the African wildcat, the serval.
That means no savannah cats, Fairfax says.
"On all the evidence that I have seen, the risks associated with allowing this cross-bred cat into the country, when we already have up to 12 million feral cats wreaking havoc on native fauna, are simply too great," Mr Garrett said.
"That is why I have banned the import of these cats immediately."
An assessment commissioned by the government found that the savannah cat posed an extreme threat to native wildlife, with a likelihood that each generation would retain the more efficient hunting traits of the wild African serval.
Mr Garrett said he would "not hesitate" to use his powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to prevent the live import of any species or breed that poses a significant risk to the environment or wildlife.
"My role as federal Environment Minister is to make decisions based on the best possible outcome for the Australian environment." Mr Garrett said.
Environment Minister for Australia Peter Garrett has banned savannah cats from Australia, saying they pose an extreme risk to native animals and the environment.
Fairfax says that after receiving more than 500 submissions on the issue, Mr Garrett said he would change the legal definition of "domestic cat" to rule out cats with the genes of the African wildcat, the serval.
That means no savannah cats, Fairfax says.
"On all the evidence that I have seen, the risks associated with allowing this cross-bred cat into the country, when we already have up to 12 million feral cats wreaking havoc on native fauna, are simply too great," Mr Garrett said.
"That is why I have banned the import of these cats immediately."
An assessment commissioned by the government found that the savannah cat posed an extreme threat to native wildlife, with a likelihood that each generation would retain the more efficient hunting traits of the wild African serval.
Mr Garrett said he would "not hesitate" to use his powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to prevent the live import of any species or breed that poses a significant risk to the environment or wildlife.
"My role as federal Environment Minister is to make decisions based on the best possible outcome for the Australian environment." Mr Garrett said.
