In 2023, Australia will implement a program to regulate stray cat populations based on the use of robots and artificial intelligence. A measure that does not appeal to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation.
Faced with the overpopulation of cats, certain countries are obliged to act quickly to avoid an ecological disaster. And in Australia, controlling stray cat populations looks like something out of science fiction.
Her name ? The Felixer. Equipped with solar panels, this trap identifies stray cats by analyzing their gait. Once the animal is identified, the robot projects a toxic gel, which will later be ingested by the cat when it is washed.
A solution that does not go down well with the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which was quick to react on social networks. Nothing surprising comes from an association in favor of non-lethal methods (capture, sterilize, release).
Although sterilization appears to be an effective method in the long term, should it become the only method used when the situation is most urgent? What about the cats that will escape capture and continue to reproduce like crazy? A sterilized cat will certainly not reproduce, but will continue to cause harm until its natural death.
Unsurprisingly, the Australian government does not seem to be waiting and indeed had took the trouble to respond to a letter sent to them by FBB in 2015.
The government also reminded that only “feral” cats are the target of this system. Domestic cats are subject to a curfew to curb their impact on wildlife.
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As a reminder, the cat population in Australia is estimated at between 2 and 6 million animals. The number of animals killed each year by the small feline is estimated at 300 million every year.
While the use of lethal methods on stray cats is controversial, the delicate situation in which Australia finds itself must be taken into account. On the one hand endemic biodiversity threatened with disappearance and on the other a more than tense social context when it comes to animal welfare.
And I’m not telling you anything if I tell you that when it comes to animal welfare, any decision you make is an additional risk of seeing your reputation trashed, even if your intentions are honorable.
Hell is paved with good intentions. And although I have no doubt that cat owners are all great animal lovers, a question arises. Is it ethical to leave millions of cats in the wild out of respect for animal welfare if this leads to a large part of our biodiversity disappearing in the coming years?
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