A cat-killing competition for children has been axed after a backlash from animal welfare groups.
Organisers of a bizarre annual hunt in North Canterbury, New Zealand, were slammed after adding the new category for youngsters in which participants slaughter feral cats.
The animals are considered a pest in the country.
Kids were told not to target pets but were encouraged to go after strays for a prize of NZ$250 (£124; $155).
The event drew immediate condemnation from activists.
Yesterday, New Zealand's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was relieved the children's category which "involved shooting feral cats" had been stopped.
A representative argued participants, regardless of age, would struggle to differentiate between "a feral, stray or frightened domesticated cat", according to AFP news agency.
There had been fears that pets would be "caught in the crossfire", one former sponsor of the hunt told Stuff.
The event had been announced as part of a June fundraiser hunt for a local school in the town on the country's South Island.
The competition usually sees hundreds of people - including children- compete to kill wild pigs, deer and hares.
Organisers announced the cancellation of the cat event on Tuesday, saying they had received "vile and inappropriate emails".
"We are disappointed and apologise for those who were excited to be involved in something that is about protecting our native birds, and other vulnerable species," the group wrote on Facebook.
The post saw over 100 comments, many defending the bloodthirsty event, describing it as a "controlled cull".
"If only people knew the damage wild cats cause around the place," one local wrote.
"They also [have] an effect on our farming. Wild cats carry diseases... we will just keep shooting them for as long as we keep seeing them," she concluded.
Measures to halt the spread of feral cats in New Zealand are regularly debated.
The wild animals are a threat to native species.
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society estimates they cause the deaths of 1.1 million native birds every year and tens of millions of non-native birds, reports the BBC.
