New intelligent traps are providing more tools in the war on feral cats.
Story + Photos Mandy McKeesick
In the brigalow woodland of Avocet Nature Reserve, 30km south of Emerald in Central Queensland, a feral cat stalks a juvenile bridled nail-tail wallaby. The small wallaby, all striped cuteness, hops quietly along a meandering path and blithely under an angular shape that looks somehow not quite right. The cat stops near the shape, then is drawn forward by the smell of fish oil. It lowers and stretches and, perhaps sensing danger, suddenly springs forward. But, quicker than the wily cat’s reflexes, metallic arms drop a net, which is now filled with a rolling ball of feline indignation.
New technology utilising the power of artificial intelligence is changing the way war is waged on feral cats and this Humane Animal Net Device (HAND) trap is the perfect example. In a micro second, the technology has identified a cat, deployed the trap and notified a human of the catch. Meanwhile, the wallaby hops nonchalantly away.
This story excerpt is from Issue #168
Outback Magazine: Aug/Sep 2026
