A notorious feral cat given the name “Nine Lives” because it eluded trappers for three years has been caught and killed in New Zealand, ending its devastating rampage against one of the country’s rare duck populations. Nine Lives was first spotted on the Purerua peninsula in Northland in 2023. The project managed to catch other feral cats over the next year, but Nine Lives remained elusive. More than 2.5m feral cats roam New Zealand’s bush and on offshore islands, where they can grow up to a metre long, including their tail. In November, the government announced feral cats would be added to the country’s world-leading Predator-Free 2050 strategy.