Australian island to wipe out feral cats

SYDNEY - Victoria's Phillip Island could soon be a cat-free zone to protect the island's iconic penguin population. The state government is reportedly considering a radical bid to wipe out the feral cat population on the island, which is 80 kilometers southeast of Melbourne, while also forcing owners to keep domestic felines indoors.

The proposal to wipe out the feral cats comes as the federal government embarks on a plan to bait, trap and kill 2 million of the pests by 2020.

Phillip Island Nature Park's Richard Faulkner said that while no foxes had been spotted on the island for two years the growing population of cats was threatening the penguins as well as other birds and mammals.