State officials are considering moving the population of stray cats out of Jones Beach and seven other Long Island state parks.

Officials say the dozens of cats living in colonies near Jones Beach are essentially wild animals and pose a threat to the endangered piping plovers set to return to the park in a month. State parks officials are considering a plan to move the cats to a humane organization.

Cat advocates say moving the cats to a shelter would constitute a death sentence. They say the cats are unadoptable and would be held for a certain number of days and then euthanized.