A large grey tabby cat known as “Nine Lives” has been captured and killed in New Zealand after spending three years on the Purerua peninsula, where it preyed extensively on the country’s native wildlife. The cat is believed to have killed dozens of pāteke, or brown teal ducks, representing approximately 1% of the mainland population of this rare species. It also killed kiwi chicks, native geckos, and other native animals during its time on the peninsula near the top of the North Island.
Conservation project Pest Free Purerua introduced 20 pāteke to the peninsula in 2023, but within a week the first duck was killed. Project manager Andy Mentor identified a specific cat with distinctive markings responsible for the deaths. Over the following months, another 15 pāteke were killed by the same animal. Despite increased trapping efforts, the cat continued to evade capture, leading to its nickname based on its remarkable ability to escape. When the project released additional pāteke in 2024, the cat again appeared and killed 15 of the 20 newly introduced birds.
The cat’s unpredictable behavior made it exceptionally difficult to track, as it would appear in different locations at varying times throughout the day and night, sometimes disappearing for months before reappearing. The breakthrough came at the end of July when the cat visited a quarry three nights consecutively, a pattern unusual enough to prompt the team to set traps baited with salmon, fried chicken, and rabbit. On July 30, a camera notification confirmed the cat had entered one of the cages, and it was subsequently removed by trappers.
New Zealand has one of the world’s highest cat ownership rates, and the issue of feral cat populations and their impact on biodiversity remains contentious. The captured cat’s body will undergo examination of its stomach contents before being preserved through taxidermy for use as an educational tool. The government announced in November that feral cats would be incorporated into the nation’s Predator-Free 2050 strategy, expanding efforts from population suppression to elimination. Conservation officials indicate the peninsula team may resume introducing pāteke once the new elimination strategy is implemented.
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