| Taranaki Furbabies | |
|---|---|
| Project | Taranaki Furbabies |
| Group | Wild for Taranaki |
| Topic | Threats to biodiversity, Natural history |
| Resources online | yes |
| School sessions | yes |
| Level | Primary, Intermediate |
| Phil Bendle pages | Cats (Feral) Felis catus |
| Web address | https://wildfortaranaki.nz/ |
| Location | |
Project Overview[edit | edit source]
A Curious Minds Project
Although cats have lived alongside humans for a long time, there are many unanswered questions regarding our feline friends. Most importantly, "What does my cat get up to when I'm not around?"
This project seeks to investigate this question by surveying cat caretakers and physically tracking pet cats to determine how, or if, their wandering and foraging patterns overlap with native wildlife. Information from this investigation will also provide valuable information on cat welfare, for example how often pet cats are crossing roads, or coming in proximity to areas of known pest trapping and poisoning?
Partners in 'Taranaki Furbabies'[edit | edit source]
Wild for Taranaki (leader)
Central School New Plymouth
Makahu School
MAIN Trust NZ, Dr Dawn Mills (NP Vet Group), Dr Heidy Kikillus (VUW Cat Tracker NZ)
Information technology:[edit | edit source]
- QGIS was used to visualise the GPS tracking data:
- 'Time Manager' was used to show the day/night movements of cats
- Camtesia Studio recorded the QGIS screen and produced the mp4 videos
Resources:[edit | edit source]
Project Video[edit | edit source]
See this comprehensive project video, made with thanks to the participating vets, school children, and the cats. Project lead was Leigh Honnor , Wild for Taranaki
Final Curious Minds Report[edit | edit source]
Final report to MBIE, Taranaki Furbabies with links to maps and analysis of where cats went, daily travels, range and territory.
The project 'CatMap' followed on from 'Taranaki Furbabies' using the information and momentum generated in this project.
