During June 2026, information on the tactics used by Invasive Species Council was provided across social media in relation to the inhumane treatment of brumbies. We believe the information to be substantially true and relevant to the public to understand how misleading information is used by a specific lobby group, as we believe this is ethically questionable. We have evidence of these tactics as applied to domestic cats.
- How the Invasive Species Council lobby group persuades Aussies to support the cruel shooting of brumbies
- Simple example of Jack Gough spreading misinformation on Bengal cats to ban importing
- LRC post on Invasive Species Council Propaganda contributing to cruelty to cats as discussed & documented under the NSW cat Inquiry
- More examples to come – stay tuned!
How the Invasive Species Council lobby group persuades Aussies to support the cruel shooting of brumbies
We have yet to verify the original author and the contents of the information on the lobby group manipulating information for brumbies. However, it appears the tactics appear SUBSTANTIALLY TRUE. Noting this generally means that:
- the statements need not be exact in every detail
- but show an essence of the truth, and
- this is important information for the public given the significant relevance and seriousness for brumbies, domestic cats, and other animals which is more important than precise accuracy.
“So the lobby [organisation] does the job for them [the governments] – not on merits, and not by putting the whole picture to people – but by selecting the science that persuades [or possibly ignoring relevant contrary science?] sidelining the people offering alternatives and running a campaign method”. (View of author)
Our assessment of there being substantial truth is based on:
✅1. An AI search as it produced a similar set of tactics from a number of media sources including SBS, and there is the brumby page from the Animal Defenders Office which provides related information.
✅2. Under the NSW cat Inquiry the ISC cat propaganda issue was raised by a rescuer and a supplementary document was provided with evidence and an assessment of the tactics/ methods that contributed to cat hate and harm to cats.
✅3. The LRC team and others have analysed the misinformation and manipulation of ISC webpages and posts on cats, which then is further manipulated through paid media adding emotive opinions and blurring facts, and through social media pages not being moderated for comments on cat hate and cruel acts. Refer our previous web blogs and posts.
In other sections of this blog, we will provide examples of evidence for cats where the same tactics have been applied:
- Manufactured urgency
- Force between just two extreme solutions
- Discredit the dissenter (eg animal welfare experts being labeled activists)
- Manufacture overwhelming support (eg we see inaccurate portrayal of RSPCA NSW aggressively supporting mandatory cat containment)
In our examples, these tactics and misinformation appear to be used by ISC and their followers in media, social media posts and comments.
Simple example of Jack Gough spreading misinformation on Bengal cats to ban importing
Jack Gough misinformation prior to ban
This is a summary of just some of the comments Jack Gough made to News Com in September 2025.
From March 2026 there has been implemented a complete ban for importing Bengal cats – no Bengal cats will be permitted to enter Australia.
This replaces a 12-year exemption period that previously made it possible with specific conditions.
MANUFACTURE URGENCY
Jack Gough “This is sheer lunacy, there’s no other way to describe it,”
“It’s something that needs to be stopped.”
News Com: “has sparked outrage over fears it would “turbocharge” the nation’s cat crisis… the group warned the move – which would reverse a ban implemented earlier this year – would mean “deliberately unleashing more genetic monsters” on the country’s native wildlife”.
Where in reality Bengal cats are domestic cats and given their high value are usually contained as pets, not free roaming and extremely rarely abandoned as easily adopted by a new family. Further, Bengal cats usually reside in urban areas where wildlife has already been decimated by human developments.
Recent research confirms earlier advice from wildlife rescuers that wildlife in urban areas is more likely to be significantly harmed by road accidents and dogs than cats.
Bella and Charlie Are Not the Problem – It’s Us: The Real Drivers of Wildlife Decline in NSW https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202604.1191
FORCE A FALSE CHOICE
News Com: “A proposal to import a controversial pet cat into Australia has been slammed by a major environment group, who has branded the breed a ‘hybrid killing machine’.”
The previous controls were a reasonable and proven workable option, the ban replaced a 12-year exemption period that previously made it possible with specific conditions.
Jack Gough “cats are ‘“’one of the greatest drivers of extinction’”’ for native animals, with roaming pet cats killing over 300 million native animals every year in Australia, including lizards, frogs, bilbies and small wallabies” – land clearing of native vegetation has been proven the worst impact for native animals “Habitat loss and clearing has caused the extinction of 62 Australian terrestrial species since European colonisation” https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/6.%20DCCEEW-SOE_factsheet_Habitat%20and%20Natural%20Capital.pdf
Jack Gough “Collectively, feral and roaming cats have driven at least 25 species to extinction, including the pig-footed bandicoot, broad-faced potoroo and desert rat-kangaroo” Note – this is not proven by any scientific evidence based research.
It is just feral cats NOT roaming domestic cats who have CONTRIBUTED with many other factors (e.g. land clearing, climate change and other invasive species) to the “extinction of more than 20 Australian mammal species, including the pig-footed bandicoots, lesser bilby and broad-faced potoroo” https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/invasive-species/feral-animals-australia/feral-cats
Jack Gough called out those who “think that their desire for a trophy pet is more important than protecting our native wildlife” – just two choices allowing your cat or supporting wildlife. This accusation of caring for one or the other is experienced often.
DISCREDIT THE DISSENTER
News Com “The Invasive Species Council has blasted what it has called a “ridiculous” new application to the federal government to include Bengal cats – designer hybrids of a domestic cats and Asian leopard cats – on the Live Import List as household pets… which would reverse a ban implemented earlier this year – would mean “deliberately unleashing more genetic monsters” on the country’s native wildlife.”
Jack Gough “Bengal cats would ‘inevitably’ escape or breed with feral cats, which would “turbocharge feral cat populations” and kill wildlife already devastated by roaming and feral cats… we’re bringing in genes that will make them more effective and more impactful on our native wildlife”.
Bengal cats are domestic, no more aggressive than other breeds and mainly reside in urban areas and extremely unlikely to be in areas with feral cats.
Jack Gough included the application against the ban was “irresponsible and selfish”.
MANUFACTURING OVERWHELMING SUPPORT
Published in media EG News.com, possibly elsewhere too https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/hybrid-killing-machines-outrage-over-proposal-to-import-pet-cat-into-australia/news-story/e5c9cf41b07ec7a68f23ea997af6930f
Veterinary Advice on the Bengal cat breed
While a vets advise “…these cats have strict breed standards to limit aggression and favor good temperaments”.
“Bengal cats may look like wild jungle cats but they’re fully domesticated like any other breed of cat. These cats aren’t particularly aggressive or dangerous as a breed”
https://articles.hepper.com/are-bengal-cats-aggressive-dangerous
Animal Care Australia raising issues with the interpretations and ban
“Contrary to the misguided beliefs of the Invasive Species Council, the Bengals’ temperament, genetic makeup, and behaviour are domestic. With responsible ownership and containment, the impact on wildlife is zero – which applies to all cat breeds.”
The ban made in December 2024 and was reviewed in late 2025, was “reported to have been made on the basis that some cats imported into Australia were less than five (F5) generations removed from their wild ancestors which caused concern about potential risks to Australia’s ecosystem and wildlife.
There is no information accessible that supports that claim.
The DCCEEW announced there was a detailed policy review, however, neither they nor the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) provided a reference for the Review title documentation.
Further “the DCCEEW has not provided statistics showing how many Bengal cats actually entered into Australia who were less than five generations removed, or over what period of time or how DCCEEW identified that this had occurred”.
“It is a misleading statement to classify the current day Bengal cat as a hybrid… these days are at least 5 generations away from the original matings which began in the 1940’s and are considered worldwide to be a domestic cat”.
From the year 2000, “Bengal cats have been classified at domestic cats on a global scale… their heritage lies in a cross mating with the Asian Leopard Cat is so far from the cats bred today”
LRC 