Systems thinking: a cautionary tale (cats in Borneo)

This whiteboard animation video about systems thinking tells a story of cats in Borneo (a.k.a. Operation Cat Drop parachuting cats) that occurred in Borneo in the 1950's. It is a reminder that when solutions are implemented without a systems perspective they often create new problems.

We live in complex systems. Systems thinking is important to take into account in our sustainable development to make sure that we take all systems into account before acting and trying to solve our sustainability problems.

As a result of not using systems thinking in this story, the World Health Organization decided to parachute live cats into Borneo. “Operation Cat Drop” occurred courtesy of the Royal Air Force and eventually stabilized the situation.

Indonesian Subtitles: Shanty Syahril

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Resources:

Narration: Sarah Brooks

Music "The Messenger" by Silent Partner

Thank you to our volunteer for the Portuguese subtitles: André Ribeiro Winter
Thank you to our volunteer for the Turkish subtitles: Tuba Atabey, Gül Ulu, Okan Türkeş, Ezgi Topuz

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Transcript:
Inspired by a true story…

In the 1950s, the Dayak people of Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia, were suffering from an outbreak of malaria, so they called the World Health Organization for help. The World Health Organization had a ready-made solution, which was to spray copious amounts of DDT around the island. With the application of DDT, the mosquitoes that carried the malaria were knocked down, and so was the malaria.

There were some interesting side effects, though. The first was that the roofs of people’s houses began to collapse on their heads (sound 50-52). It seems the DDT not only killed off the malaria-carrying mosquitoes, but it also killed a species of parasitic wasp that up to that point had controlled a population of thatch-eating caterpillars. Without the wasps, the caterpillars multiplied and flourished, and began munching their way through the villagers’ roofs.

That was just the beginning. The DDT affected a lot of the island’s other insects, which were eaten by the resident population of small lizards called geckos. The biological half-life of DDT is around 8 years, so animals like geckos do not metabolize it very fast, and it stays in their system for a long time. Over time, the geckos began to accumulate pretty high loads of DDT, and while they tolerated the DDT fairly well, the island’s resident cats, which dined on the geckos, did not. The cats ate the geckos and the DDT contained in the geckos killed the cats. With the cats gone, the island’s population of rats came out to play and we all know what happens when rats multiply and flourish. Pretty soon the Dayak people were back on the phone to the World Health Organization, only this time it wasn’t malaria they were complaining about. It was plague and the destruction of their grain stores caused by the overpopulation of rats. This time, though, the World Health Organization didn’t have a ready-made solution and had to invent one: they decided to parachute live cats into Borneo. “Operation Cat Drop” occurred courtesy of the Royal Air Force and eventually stabilized the situation.

Conclusion:
If you don’t understand the inter-relatedness of things, solutions often cause more problems
Simple questions often require complex and reflective thinking if good solutions are to be found
It is always better to manage by design than by default

[FlyingLime]

Thank you so much for helping me use this video to illustrate system archetypes such as "fixes that fail", and explain how system delays work. I once used this video as a stepping stone to prepare for an exam some time ago, and re-watching it now can help me with an exam I have coming soon. Warmest regards!

[DanielSuguwa]

Hello, this is a great video! As a Sarawakian, I never heard this from anywhere, not even in my hometown in Borneo. Thanks for the story! It should remind us that we must think thoroughly about the solution before proceeding, otherwise it's a failure. Sometimes, I wish this doesn't happen, but oh well, those who don't learn the history will condemn to repeat it again. Also, wishing that we may not land our cat with parachute, but this time with jetpack rocket. 😊

[days]

I loved this! This is the second parachuting animal story I've heard. Look for the parachuting beavers video. Now, if we could just parachute frogs and fish, we could save the world!

[kickkickkon]

This video is great to understand systems thinking! I would like to use this in training!

[MicahandModesta]

Her voice reminds me of Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory!

[learnsustainability]

NEW VIDEO! New narration voice. Please let me know what you think. Do you know of any other stories where solutions implemented without a systems perspective created new problems?

[geckoserrar]

Ahahaaha fantastic video, it seems western science often targets the symptom rather than the cause, and it leads to problems like this. Reminds me of how antibiotics are used for so many health problems and lead to things like stomach issues and immunity to antibiotics

[antonellopisu]

Thank you so much for this video! it's very useful and interesting

[catarinasacouto]

If the insects were killed with DDT, how the lizzards ate them?

They eat alive insects...

[bharathibt]

So..the parachuted cats did not have an appetite for geckos?

[keiram]

im doing a homework assignment on this where we have to make a network/web of this, anyways i have to know what the rats ate to get the plague..any help??

[lauraozaeta]

Hi there!

I am a Courseware Developer for a flight school. I would like to inquire about obtaining permission to use this video from your YouTube channel in our courseware.

We will happily comply with any guidelines regarding the use of your video, and fully attribute your content. Please let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to your response.

Thank you in advance.

[manabuhubs]

Great video again. Is there any possibility to put spanish Subtitles to share in my website or facebook? I would really appreciate if you do it, because developing countries doesn't have such as clearly and simple information to explain something. Regards from Chile.

[MrManueleh]

The saddest part is they used thousands of times more ddt then needed to stop the mosquitos. Literally hundreds of gallons were used where ounces would have been suffiecient.

[sinkalen]

Oh...That's where the name Kuching come from. Parachuting cat

[Phantasmal]

Yo Marshall Cavendish Education thing copied you in their science psle revision guide third edition in page 198 and they even used the EXACT same words a few times

[k.chriscaldwell]

Also of import is that mosquitoes are a very important pollinator. I'd imagine post DDT that crop yields declined.

[wanguimaina]

help, how do i cite this video in APA

[kashyapiawasthi]

Great learning for understanding systems thinking

[pedrodiaz]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:38 *🦟 DDT spraying led to unintended consequences, including collapsing roofs due to the elimination of parasitic wasps controlling thatch-eating caterpillars.*
01:35 *🦎 Accumulation of DDT in geckos, consumed by cats, led to cat mortality, causing an increase in the rat population.*
02:05 *🐈 Operation "Cat drop" was initiated to control the rat population, highlighting the unforeseen consequences of environmental interventions.*

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