THE DAY THEY PARACHUTED CATS INTO BORNEO

This is an activity that demonstrates the importance of the connections among the different
components (both abiotic and biotic) in an ecosystem. It also illustrates how difficult it is for humans
to identify all these components and their relationships. Work in pairs and try to arrange the
following events in chronological order. When you think you have the correct sequence, write
them onto a paper. Be prepared to justify each step in your sequence. We shall then all discuss how
we have reached our sequence. (This activity is based on a real situation.)

Firstly, research and find out where is Borneo.

Now the events. What do you think is the probable sequence of events?

Rats brought the plague.

Rats increased.

Cats died.

Caterpillar numbers went up.

WHO (World Health Organization) sent DDT to Borneo.

Mosquitoes were wiped out.

Caterpillars ate grass roofs.

Cats were parachuted in.

Cats caught lizards containing DDT.

Roaches stored DDT in their bodies.

Lizards disappeared.

Lizards slowed down.

Lizards ate roaches and got DDT

In the early 1950s, there was an outbreak of a serious disease called malaria amongst the
Dayak people in Borneo. The World Health Organization tried to solve the problem. They
sprayed large amounts of a chemical called DDT to kill the mosquitoes that carried the
malaria. The mosquitoes died and there was less malaria. That was good. However, there
were side effects. One of the first effects was that the roofs of people's houses began to fall
down on their heads. It turned out that the DDT was also killing a parasitic wasp that ate
thatch-eating caterpillars. Without the wasps to eat them, there were more and more thatch-
eating caterpillars. Worse than that, the insects that died from being poisoned by DDT were
eaten by gecko lizards, which were then eaten by cats. The cats started to die, the rats
flourished, and the people were threatened by outbreaks of two new serious diseases carried
by the rats, Sylvatic plague and Typhus. To cope with these problems, which it had itself
created, the World Health Organization had to parachute live cats into Borneo to eat the
rats.

About Borneo Borneo (politically divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei)
is the third largest island in the world. It has an area of 743,330 km (287,000 mi),
and is located at the centre of the Malay archipelago and Indonesia. Borneo is
considered part of the geographic region of Southeast Asia. The island historically
had extensive rainforest cover, but the area is shrinking rapidly due to heavy logging
for the needs of the Malaysian plywood industry and also multinational companies
take their share. One half of the annual tropical timber acquisition of the whole world
comes from Borneo. Furthermore, palm plantations are rapidly encroaching on the
last remnants of primary rainforest. The rainforest was also greatly destroyed due to
the forest fires in 1997 to 1998 which were started by humans and coincided with an
exceptional drought season of El Nio.

Correct Sequence of Events:

WHO sent DDT to Borneo

Mosquitoes were wiped out
Caterpillar numbers went up
Caterpillars ate grass roofs
Roaches stored DDT in their bodies
Lizards ate roaches and got DDT
Lizards slowed down
Cats caught lizards containing DDT
Lizards disappeared
Cats died
Rats increased
Rats brought the plague
Cats were parachuted in
Answer the following discussion questions about the story:
1. Explain why the cats that parachuted into Borneo were needed.

2. Explain how a toxin in a food web will harm some while killing others. Include
bioaccumulation & biomagnification with an example of each from the story in
your explanation.

3. Explain why you think DDT has been banned in the Ecuador and in most countries
of the world, but is now in production again, and its controlled use is allowed in some
countries.

4. If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in Ecuador, are we still exposed
to it? Support your answer.

5. Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what
should they have done about the Malaria issue?

6. Who is the scientist credited with public awareness of DDT endangering

ecosystems? Briefly describe how she came to her conclusion. (You will need to
research this)