Ten Million Wildcats

Australia is the only continent completely overrun by feral cats. It is estimated there are now some ten million domestic cats gone wild and that each year they kill billions of native animals.

Where did they come from? Why did they spread so quickly? And how much of a role have they really had in the destruction of the country's fauna?

Ten Million Wildcats shatters some common preconceptions. Feral cats look much the same as domestic cats; their main diet is rats and mice rather than native animals; and when it comes to damage wrought on native species, sheep have had a greater impact than cats.

However, in an environment already damaged by agriculture, cats can push populations already at risk to extinction. This program follows the race to save one particular small member of the kangaroo family, the mala, and considers what we can do to stop further damage to Australia's unique wildlife. It also examines the remarkable survival skills that have enabled cats to thrive in some of the harshest regions in the world.