Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Climate change
    Climate change Driving climate action, science and innovation so we are ready for the future.
    • Climate science and adaptation
    • Australia's climate change strategies
    • Emissions reduction
    • Emissions reporting
    • International commitments
    • Climate Active
    • Climate change publications and data
    • Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (Emissions Data)
    Stronger action on climate change

    Stronger action on climate change

    See how the Australian Government is committed to taking more ambitious action on climate change.

    Find out more

  • Energy
    Energy Building a secure and sustainable energy system for all Australians.
    • Energy policy in Australia
    • Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council
    • Renewable energy
    • Energy publications
    • energy.gov.au
    • Energy Rating
    • Commercial Building Disclosure Program
    • Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)
    • Your Home
    Decorative image

    Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme

    Guiding energy-efficient design and construction for a net-zero future

    Find out more about NatHERS

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • Biodiversity
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Invasive species
    • Land
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
    • Wildlife trade
    Decorative image

    Read our Nature Positive Plan

    Our plan sets out the Australian Government’s commitment to environmental law reform

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water supply for industry, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Office of the Science Convenor
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Our climate is changing

    Our climate is changing

    Find out more about how climate science helps Australians with the impacts of climate change.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We lead Australia’s response to climate change and sustainable energy use, and protect our environment, heritage and water.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • People and jobs
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Decorative image

    Juukan Gorge response

    Read the Australian Government's response to the destruction at Juukan Gorge and the recommendations

    Read the response

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Invasive species
  4. Feral animals in Australia
  5. Feral cats
  6. Curiosity® bait for feral cats

Sidebar first - EN - Invasive species

  • Feral cats
    • Curiosity® bait for feral cats
    • Request for expressions of Interest

Curiosity® bait for feral cats

The Curiosity® bait for feral cats has been a long-term $5.9 million project to develop a humane, broad-scale toxic bait to control feral cats in conservation areas.

Cat bait

Interior of a Curiosity bait showing a toxic pellet

The Curiosity® bait for feral cats comprises a small meat-based sausage containing a small hard plastic pellet encapsulating a humane toxin. Cats do not have molar teeth and tend to chew their food less so they may swallow portions of the sausage including the pellet. Most Australian native animals nibble and chew their food and are likely to reject the pellet. The pellet is designed to dissolve in the cat’s stomach and deliver a rapid dose of the toxin.

The Curiosity® bait for feral cats uses a new humane toxin called para-aminopropiophenone, or PAPP, which is considered best-practice world-wide. In brief, the toxicant, PAPP, converts the animal’s red blood cells to a form that cannot carry oxygen, causing death through oxygen starvation to the brain and other vital organs. It is considered to be humane and death takes minutes to hours. The RSPCA have indicated that PAPP is a clear improvement in humaneness over previous toxins. The mode of action means that secondary poisoning of any other animals from consuming a carcass of a cat that ate a Curiosity® bait containing PAPP is much less likely than when using previously employed toxins.

Commercialisation of Curiosity® bait for feral cats

Curiosity baits are available from Tréidlia Biovet under a licencing arrangement with the Department. To make enquiries about the bait or place an order please contact Tréidlia Biovet by email Curiosity@feralcat.com.au or phone 02 9674 1488.

In some states and territories land managers will need to arrange supply via their Local Land Services, Natural Resource Management Board or equivalent.

Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority registration

The Curiosity® bait for feral cats has been registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) as an agricultural chemical product for vertebrate pest control.

The APVMA conducted a rigorous assessment to ensure the product can be supplied or sold and used safely according to the label directions. This includes ensuring efficacy, occupational health and safety, environmental safety for native species, soils and water, and restrictions to minimise the risk to the public.

It has been classified as a schedule 7 toxin and sales will be restricted. This means that Curiosity® baits will only be sold to, and used by, appropriately trained and authorised persons. State and territory government authorities may also apply additional restrictions.

Non-target species assessment

A desktop assessment has been conducted to assess the risks to non-target vertebrate species in Australia from Curiosity® bait for feral cats.

  • Assessing Risks to Non-Target Species during Poison Baiting Programs for Feral Cats

To assist practitioners assessing their specific non-target species risks after reading and understanding the process in the linked paper.

Wildlife risk assessment for Curiosity bait from Buckmaster et al 2014 (XLSX - 154.22 KB)

Standard Operating Procedure for Baiting of feral cats with para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP)

This Standard Operating Procedure lays out a guide for a uniform approach to the baiting of feral cats with PAPP. It details the procedures involved. This standard operating procedure (SOP) is a guide only; it does not replace or override the legislation that applies in the relevant state or territory jurisdiction. The SOP should only be used subject to the applicable legal requirements (including WH&S) operating in the relevant jurisdiction.

SOP - Baiting of feral cats with para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) (PDF - 320.76 KB)
SOP - Baiting of feral cats with para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) (DOC - 110 KB)

Testing of Curiosity®

To ensure that Curiosity® baits are effective in reducing feral cat numbers in the field, various tests including laboratory, cage trials and field trials in different parts of Australia were conducted. The final bait composition has achieved efficiency rates (reduction in feral cat numbers) of up to 80 per cent in ideal field conditions. In the controlled situation of pen trials on feral cats testing demonstrated 97% of the cats voluntarily consuming a Curiosity® bait died.

Optimal conditions are specified on the packaging to maximise outcomes for land managers, including using the bait at times when feral cats are food stressed, such as in winter.

Field efficacy trial reports

  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Roxby Downs, South Australia, 2014
  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Karijini National Park, Western Australia, 2013
  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Flinders Ranges, South Australia, 2012
  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Wilsons Promontory, Victoria 2012
  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Cape Arid, Western Australia, 2011
  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Christmas Island, 2010
  • Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia, 2009

Other trials using Curiosity® bait for feral cats

Use in the eradication of feral cats from Tasman Island, Tasmania in 2010. The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service has produced a video on the eradication of feral cats from Tasman Island - Tasman Island Natural Values Restoration Project - removing feral cats.

Field efficacy testing Curiosity® bait for feral cats French Island, Victoria 2008. There is no stand-alone report of this field efficacy study. In summary, a 60 km2 component of French Island National park was baited in Autumn 2008. 75 per cent of the feral cats fitted with transmitter collars died as a result of bait consumption.

Hisstory® bait for feral cats

The Hisstory® bait for feral cats has been developed to complement the Curiosity® bait for feral cats. Hisstory® baits are similar to Curiosity® baits in being a small meat-based sausage containing a small hard plastic pellet encapsulating the toxin. In this case the toxin is sodium fluroacetate or 1080.

Like the Curiosity® bait, minimising the hazard to wildlife species is based on most Australian animals nibbling and chewing their food and being likely to reject the pellet. However, there are a few animals that eat their food whole and will eat a bait and pellet. Of those animals, goannas are highly susceptible to Curiosity’s PAPP toxin — this potential hazard to goannas can be mitigated in southern Australia by limiting baiting to cooler months when goannas are in torpor. Further north, the potential hazard is mitigated by using the 1080 toxin. While goannas are susceptible to the PAPP toxin, they are tolerant to a cat-sized dose of 1080 toxin. This means Hisstory® baits will be suitable for sites in northern Australia where goannas are typically active all year round.

Testing of Hisstory®

Testing of the Hisstory® bait is necessary to ensure the bait is effective on feral cats and ensure the risks to native species is minimised as we expect.

A number of trials, both in captive and open situations, will be conducted. 

Once the Department is satisfied with the testing, a registration will be sought from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority as an agricultural chemical product for vertebrate pest control.

Field efficacy trial reports

  • Hisstory bait hazard assessment for the northern quoll
Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 03 October 2021

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.