Operation Cat Drop
Encyclopedia
Operation Cat Drop is the name commonly given to an account, of uncertain veracity, about the delivery, by the United Kingdom
's Royal Air Force
, of cats to a remote village in Sarawak
, Borneo
. The cats were delivered in crates, dropped by parachute, as part of a broader program of supplying cats to combat a plague of rats. The cat population had previously been reduced as an unintended consequence of spraying DDT
for malaria
control. The story, often with various elaborations is often told as an illustration of the problems that may arise from well-intended interventions in the environment, or of unintended consequences more generally.
It is not clear whether the events of the Operation Cat Drop story actually transpired as the story is commonly told or if the cats were ever delivered by parachute. While cats are indeed unusually susceptible to the toxic effects of DDT, and cat die-offs were a not unheard of side effect of malaria control operations, many aspects of the story have been called into question. For example, it was probably dieldrin
rather than DDT which was used for malaria control in the region and caused numerous cat deaths.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, of cats to a remote village in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. The cats were delivered in crates, dropped by parachute, as part of a broader program of supplying cats to combat a plague of rats. The cat population had previously been reduced as an unintended consequence of spraying DDT
DDT
DDT is one of the most well-known synthetic insecticides. It is a chemical with a long, unique, and controversial history....
for malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
control. The story, often with various elaborations is often told as an illustration of the problems that may arise from well-intended interventions in the environment, or of unintended consequences more generally.
It is not clear whether the events of the Operation Cat Drop story actually transpired as the story is commonly told or if the cats were ever delivered by parachute. While cats are indeed unusually susceptible to the toxic effects of DDT, and cat die-offs were a not unheard of side effect of malaria control operations, many aspects of the story have been called into question. For example, it was probably dieldrin
Dieldrin
Dieldrin is a chlorinated hydrocarbon originally produced in 1948 by J. Hyman & Co, Denver, as an insecticide. Dieldrin is closely related to aldrin, which reacts further to form dieldrin. Aldrin is not toxic to insects; it is oxidized in the insect to form dieldrin which is the active compound...
rather than DDT which was used for malaria control in the region and caused numerous cat deaths.
External links
- Catdrop.com: a site prepared by Patrick T. O’Shaughnessy, an associate professor at the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
- Systems Thinking: Operation Cat Drop and Chaotic Kindness