A competition requiring children to hunt and kill feral cats in New Zealand, where they are a pest, has been cancelled after heavy criticism, including from animal rights organisations.
The event was part of an annual fundraiser for a local school in Canterbury on the South Island in June that often sees hundreds of children kill wild boar, deer and hares.
This year, organisers announced a new category for this year's edition, which involved youngsters being asked to kill as many feral cats as possible for a prize of NZ$250 (amounting to €140).
Measures to control the feral cat population are the subject of heated debate in the country, where they pose a major threat to native species and New Zealand's biodiversity.
Safety concerns
The event drew immediate condemnation from animal welfare groups, resulting in the organisers of the North Canterbury Hunting Competition pulling the cat event on Tuesday, though not without adding that it was "incredibly disappointed by the reaction."
"As some of you may have seen, various media outlets picked up on our latest competition section involving feral cats," the group wrote on social media prior to the announcement. It later removed the post and sought advice and guidance on the next steps.
"Unfortunately, there have been some vile and inappropriate emails and messages sent to the school and others involved. Our sponsors and school safety are our main priority, so the decision has been made to withdraw this category for this year to avoid further backlash at this time."
Organisers apologised to "those who were excited to be involved in something that is about protecting our native birds, and other vulnerable species." It is estimated that feral cats are responsible for as many as 1.1 million native bird deaths every year.
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The post received more than 100 comments, many of which defended the event. People said the hunt could have been a "controlled cull." One local wrote: "If only people knew the damage wild cats cause around the place."
On Tuesday, New Zealand's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was relieved the "children's category which involved shooting feral cats" would not go ahead. It feared that children, along with adults, would not be able to differentiate between "a feral, stray or frightened domesticated cat."
