This Is Real News: Cat Killing Robots Will Invade Australia (With Good Reason)

Australian authorities have come up with a drastic plan to get rid of stray cats. This includes the deployment of killer robots whose objective is to track down and eliminate felines, considered invasive and harmful to endemic fauna. Yes, you read correctly…

Amounting to 7.6 million Australian dollars, or 4.6 million euros, the plan aims to eradicate feral cats (domestic cats returned to the wild) within 5 years in the State of ‘Western Australia. So these are not journalists’ cats under investigation!

The robot sprays the cats with poison

After years of testing, federal authorities finally approved the deployment of Felixer. Marketed by the local company Thylation, this killer robot identifies cats from their silhouette and their gait. He then sends a toxic gel, sodium fluoroacetate or poison 1080, on the animal. The poison is then ingested by it during its toilet, resulting in its death.

A total of 15 of these machines will be installed in the state of Western Australia. Reece Whitby, Minister for the Environment, assures that there is no risk of the Felixer confusing other species with cats. In addition to the deployment of the robots, nearly $2.7 million will be used to increase the number of aerial baits for feral cats by almost 50%.

A devastating threat to Australian wildlife

If the government’s decision seems abominable on all counts, the presence of stray cats in Australia poses a real threat to local wildlife. The extinction of top predators like the marsupial lion and the Tasmanian tiger has allowed invasive species to thrive. Introduced to the mainland during colonization, feral cats are among the biggest killers of native wildlife in Australia and number nearly 6 million individuals. They have been considered pests in the state of Western Australia since 2019.

Every 24 hours, the country’s feral cats kill an estimated 3 million mammals, 1.7 million reptiles, 1 million birds, 2.8 million invertebrates and 337,000 frogs “, indicates the local newspaper WAtoday. The presence of big cats in Australia poses a threat to the survival of nearly 120 species in the country, many of which are endemic to the continent.

“ This is not Grandma’s cat, but large predators finely tuned to be killing machines that take a heavy toll on our native animals. “, protests Reece Whitby.

Financially, the damage caused by feral cats on the country’s wildlife amounts to nearly 300 million Australian dollars, or 181 million euros.

Sources: West France, WAtoday