Newly appointed Government vet Jonathan Nisbett is calling for a change in legislation to combat the problem of wild cats and chickens.

Dr. Nisbett, who took over the post earlier this month, plans to carry out a census of feral animals to discover just how big the problem is on the Island.

And he is urging the Government to give the Ministry of Agriculture's dog wardens wider powers to allow them to impound cats and chickens.

"At the moment we just don't know how big the problem is,'' Dr. Nisbett said.

"We need to get some statistics together to find out how many feral dogs, cats and chickens we have.'' He added: "We have dog wardens that can pick up dogs and try and relocate them and return them to their homes or put them out for adoption. Euthanasia is the last option and fortunately the number of animals that are euthanised is in the minority.

"But, although there's a local feline association that's helping with the cat problem, the dog wardens don't have the power to pick up cats and chickens.

"There have been proposals put forward to change the legislation in the past but I think for reasons of finance they were quashed.

"The first thing I will be doing is talking to the statistics department so that we can do a census. We also need to trap some of them and find out if they are carrying any diseases or if they are going to be a threat to poultry.

"But there really isn't anything strong that we can do with cats and chickens under the current legislation.'' Dr. Nisbett is also seeking to get dog licence legislation amended. "We are looking to make changes there because the percentage of registered dogs is low.

"There are a lot of people who will register their dogs one year but not the next. Part of the problem is that the dog licence runs from August to August and, if somebody gets a dog in July they aren't going to register it.'' As the new Government veterinarian Dr. Nisbett will also be responsible for checking the welfare of Bermuda's seven cattle herds, examine complaints made against other practising vets and help out at the zoo and aquarium.

And he will also be liaising with customs officers to make sure that no endangered species enter the Island. Dr. Nisbett, 37, grew up in Warwick and attended Saltus Grammar School before graduating from McGill University in Montreal. He then took a veterinary degree at Tuskegee University in Alabama.

This is his first post in Bermuda after working in several practices in America.

"I'm very much looking forward to the job,'' he said.

"It's a great opportunity to serve Bermuda which I still consider home and there's also a great diversity of responsibility.'' TOP DOC -- Dr. Jonathan Nisbett