Feral cats are a well-known threat to native animals across Australia, but scientists say they know next to nothing about the elusive felines that are wreaking havoc in tropical Queensland.
Conservationists estimate there are about 4 million feral cats on the loose in Australia.
Scientists know they're a problem in Queensland's wet tropics given the devastating decline in native animals.
Chris Pocknee, from the University of Queensland's Threatened Species Recovery Hub, told The World Today feral cats often kill more than they need to eat.
"There's plenty of evidence of a cats crouching, having a lizard walk by; they jump up and kill the lizard and just leave it," Mr Pocknee said.
Little else is known about the region's feral felines, except that wherever they are, they do serious damage.
"We know they're preying on native species, including the bettongs," Mr Pocknee said.
"So it's basically trying to find out how they're using the landscape, because we know nothing about it."
The study is part of a bigger project focused on saving the small and endangered marsupial, the northern bettong, with recent figures revealing a 70 per cent decline in its population.
As part of the project, scientists will look at how fire management changes a feral cat's behaviour.
Research in other parts of the country has revealed they're drawn to burnt out areas, where there's less cover for their prey.
In the wet tropics, scientists will look at whether fire management carried out straight after the wet season — leaving more places to hide for native species — could change a feral cat's behaviour.
"Immediately after the wet season, with more moisture in the vegetation and in the soil, the area won't burn so easily, so there'll be very low intensity fire," Mr Pocknee said.
"Whereas later on, when the habitat is a bit drier, they'll be less patchy and burn the grass layer a bit more extensively."
No silver bullet to solve feral cat problem
Australian Wildlife Conservancy ecologist Andrew Carter has had success in keeping feral cats out of an 8,000 hectare fenced area in western New South Wales.
But he says the battle in unfenced areas is ongoing.
"You can't let your guard down for a moment, otherwise the cats will come back in and reinvade areas you might have been successful in," Dr Carter said.
"We're still searching for a strategy to reduce the impact across broad areas.
"The tools are labour intensive — shooting, trapping, baiting. It's a hard job, and there's no silver bullet at the moment."
The research team is hoping to start their hunt for feral cats in the wet tropics by March.
