Description
*Additional to this article: Don’t miss the great lesson ideas at the end (for teachers, parents, and homeschoolers) – Digital Collaborative Learning.
EXCERPT:
“Rat-a-strophic,” laughed the freight plane dispatcher.
“Or, maybe Cat-o-matics,” chuckled the second dispatcher.
“They are going to get a rude awakening,” said the experienced military veteran.
The tailgate of the aeroplane was open; the officers had to hold on for dear life.
The wind violently pushed and pulled the two officers of the Royal Air Force at the gate of the freight plane – a fleet of camouflaged C130’s from the UK were powering through the cold Borneo air. They resembled massive ‘iron eagles’ entering into Borneo’s airspace. The officers were attached with thin steel cables to the plane. If they fell out and their emergency parachutes took them down to the area below them, they would probably be eaten alive. A large sign covered the sides of the planes: ‘World Health Organisation (WHO) – Operations.’
The rats and mice looked up as the large eagles headed towards them. The forest held its breath.
“What on earth are they up to?” asked Ratatouille.
“I have no idea,” said Ratana.
The eyes of hundreds of predators were blinking nervously in the dim-lit belly of the plane. They were trapped. Trapped in crates. Large paper tags tied to the boxes read:
DESTINATION: Borneo – DATE: July 1956. Approved and Ratified by the WHO? ‘Operation Cat-a-strophic.’
Well, it did not read exactly like that. However, I could not resist adding some fiction to introduce this true story. Take the intro with a little bit of salt. This unique story will get very true – soon.
The crates were tied together in clumps. A giant parachute – wrapped in a camouflaged bag – sat neatly on top of every group of containers. A steel cable was attached to the bag – a static line. The function of the static line is to pull the parachute out of the bag as it exits the aeroplane. The parachute will deploy about 20 to 30 metres below the plane. It would take the predators down – slowly pendulating. It would provide them with an opportunity to see Borneo from ‘outer space.’
The author’s sketchbook: The effect of spraying DDT in the island of Borneo (1950’s). This diagram shows a summary of how the DDT rippled through the environment in Borneo. The initial aim was to eradicate mosquitos which were the carriers of deadly Malaria. W Van Zyl.
An animated overview of the true events:
Read the full article online as a blog post:
https://fivehousepublishing.com/2021/07/19/rat-a-strophics-and-cat-o-matics/
Read the full article online as a blog post:
