Poland Declares Cats as Invasive Alien Species
- U-Report
VIVA – Recently, the shocking news was delivered by Poland. Poland has declared the cat to be an Invasive Alien Species since early July 2022.
Whereas in Indonesia, cats are included in cute, adorable animals, and often become pets.
As quoted from the Associated Press, the agency that issued the statement is the Polish Academy of Sciences or PASIFIC that has officially classified the cat as an Invasive Alien Species.
The study, led by PACIFIC biologist, Wojciech Solarz found that the damage caused by cat when hunting and killing birds and other wildlife is justification for considering cats as invasive animals.
The domestic cat, whose scientific name is Felis Catus, was added to the invasion animal database earlier this month. The database already has another 1,786 species registered without objection.
In support of the decision, the Polish Academy of Sciences published a blog post on its website discussing this "controversy" and the damage that cats cause to birds and other wildlife.
Ilustrasi kucing
- VIVA/Bimo Aria
The institute itself claims that it’s against all cruelty to animals. They also argue that the classification they have done is in line with the guidelines in the European Union.
Wojciech Solarz stated that he and his team are honestly unprepared for the reaction of the dominant public lovers or cats. However, the criteria for including cats among invasive alien species.
“100 percent filled with cats”, Solarz remarked.
Despite the controversy, the agency's decision is part of a growing scientific consensus that domestic cats have a harmful impact on biodiversity, given the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill.
Solarz argues that cats kill about 140 million birds in Poland every year.
The agency also stressed that all it recommended was for cat owners to limit the time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season.
"I have a dog, but I don't hate cats," Solarz remarked.
