Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Problem: Endangered FL birds and the feral cats hunting them—How Lake Worth Comm. McVoy can provide the leadership

Last night (6/16) there was a news segment on NBC5/WPTV by Jamel Laneé on feral cats in Fort Pierce and one cat testing positive for rabies. Feral cats have been a major concern in Palm Beach County ever since The Palm Beach Post editorial on May 27 that you can read about here.

Jonathan Beaton at CBS12/WPEC did a news segment on feral cats here in the City of Lake Worth on May 8th. Along with feral cats there are pet cats that are being let out of the house to roam. The concern among those in the environmental community is very high. The indigenous bird populations in Florida are being decimated by cats. Some birds such as the Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow dwell near the ground and are easily hunted and killed by cats.
The Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow; read about at Wikipedia.
We learned again at last night's (6/16) City Commission meeting how important the environment is to Commissioner McVoythe effort to save an endangered species vis-à-vis turtles: a truly important goal. Later today or tomorrow will have video of that discussion. Undoubtedly, McVoy realizes how crucial it is to save the endangered and threatened bird populations both here in the City and in south Florida. 

This is a conversation that has to begin in Lake Worth before it is too late. The cat population roaming the city, both feral and pet, is of serious concern and a case of rabies would be terrifying here. McVoy has many resources and contacts within the environmental community and has a PhD in science himself. There is probably no one better positioned to start the conversation and come up with a solution to the problem. 

You can reach Lake Worth Commissioner McVoy at 561.398.6115 or by email.