Experts estimate that there are only 500 of these creatures left (Photo: Pat Hodgens).

Cats continue to cause trouble, this time bringing endangered species to the brink of extinction.

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that feral cats threatened a small population of Dunnartsis on Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, is home to adorable animals like mice and is one of the rarest marsupials.

Unlike koalas, possums and kangaroos, the Kangaroo Island Dunnart is one of Australia’s lesser-known marsupials.

Experts estimate that only 500 of these creatures are still around, and that this number is now threatened by feral cats.

The IUCN Red List of Endangered Species lists Smintpsis Island as an endangered species. It is one step away from becoming extinct in the wild.

wild cat

Feral cats endanger a small population of Dunnartsis on Kangaroo Island (Photo: Shutterstock)

Recently, a massive wildfire burned more than 98% of Dunnart’s famous habitat, already under pressure from fragmentation.

After the fire, scientists found evidence of eight separate Dannat in the gastrointestinal tracts of seven feral cats, confirming the urgent need for risk management efforts following a large unpredictable event such as a fire.

For this study, the researchers examined the stomach and gastrointestinal tract of 86 feral cats collected from the island’s protected areas between February and August 2020.

Seven of these cats found the remains of eight different kangaroos on Dunnart Island in the system.

“Our results show for the first time that feral cats were brown pre-KI and were such effective hunters shortly after the fire,” the research team said.

In 2020, a bushfire in Australia killed or evacuated nearly 3 billion animals.

This year, koalas have been officially designated an endangered species, and if the feral cat problem remains unsolved, a Dunnart cousin will soon join.