Nine Lives, the feral cat that terrorised New Zealand’s rare ducks, is caught after three years

A feral cat known as Nine Lives has finally been caught and killed in New Zealand after three years of eluding trappers. Operating from the Purerua peninsula near the North Island's top, this large grey tabby killed dozens of pāteke—the country's rarest mainland brown teal duck—as well as kiwi chicks, native geckos, and other native wildlife. The Guardian reports the duck deaths represent roughly one percent of the species' entire mainland population, and the cat's erratic behavior kept it ahead of conservationists until recently.

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