Australian officials have written a letter in response to Morrissey's open criticism of their plan to kill millions of feral cats in order to protect threatened species, and they still think they're right.
On the Australian goverment's Department of the Environment website, commissioner for threatened species, Gregory Andrews, writes that feral cats prey on more than 100 of the continent's species, most of which are threatened, including the lesser bilby, desert bandicoot, crescent nailtail wallaby and big-eared hopping mouse. He further states that they were a "major contributor" to 27 mammal species becoming extinct within the past 200 years.
He refers to the aformentioned critters as "delightful creatures, rich in importance in Australian indigenous culture, and formerly playing important roles in the ecology of our country. We don't want to lose any more species like these." The plan would be to kill at least two million cats using traps and poison by 2020 with no mention of why they are not choosing to neuter the cats instead.
Back in August, Morrissey had issued a statement (along with a picture of his cat Sam Esty Rayner) via his True To You fanpage, stating, "We all know that the idiots rule the Earth, but this is taking idiocy just too far. The cats (who keep the rodent population under control) will be killed in a ferocious manner, using Compound 10/80, which is a gut-wrenching poison of the most unimaginable and lengthy horror. The people of Australia would never agree to this - but of course they will not be consulted, because the Australian government as ruled by Tony Abbott is essentially a committee of sheep-farmers who have zero concerns about animal welfare or animal respect. The cats are, in fact, 2 million smaller versions of Cecil The Lion. All I can say is ... come, come, nuclear bomb ... "
Below you can watch a clip of Morrissey speaking about animal rights during an interview conducted by Russell Brand in 2009.
Moz is known for his antics when it comes to advocating for animal rights, with instances of him demanding that his performance venues do not serve meat while he is in attendance, cancelling a late night TV appearance because the guys from Duck Dynasty were scheduled for the same episode, and even playing a gruesome slaughter video during his performances of The Smiths' "Meat is Murder." In all reality, this current escapade is just another day in the life of the British rocker.
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