A groundbreaking invention could revolutionize the way we tackle bovine TB and other wildlife health challenges. Tony Cholerton, a former zookeeper and motorcycle engineer, has developed a robo-vaccination machine, Robovacc, that promises to change the game.
The story begins with a shy tiger named Cinta, who refused to eat in the presence of her keepers at London Zoo. This led Cholerton to create a machine that could administer vaccinations without causing trauma to the animals. And it worked! Cinta received her shots while calmly enjoying her meal, unaware of the innovation at play.
But here's where it gets controversial: Cholerton believes his invention can help solve the issue of badgers spreading bovine TB to cattle. Badgers have been the subject of culling in England for over a decade, despite wildlife charities' efforts to vaccinate them as an alternative to killing these wild animals. The main culprit for bovine TB in cattle? Other cows, surprisingly!
Badger vaccination is a complex and costly process, requiring time-consuming trapping and handling. Cholerton's fully automated version, Autovacc, offers a game-changing solution. It can vaccinate up to 20 badgers in a colony without human intervention, detaining each badger for just a minute or two.
"The dream is to see it used by scientists and farmers," Cholerton says. "It's about providing the means to prove that badger vaccination works and offering a solution to the TB problem in cattle. Everyone stands to benefit."
Cholerton's invention has already been used to vaccinate lions and Diana monkeys at London Zoo, with carnivores proving to be the most receptive. He believes it could be especially useful for vaccinating captive carnivores like Amur leopards, minimizing human interaction to prepare them for release back into the wild.
Over the past decade, Cholerton has dedicated his evenings to refining his invention, developing a fully automatic version that uses three sensors to detect the muscular rear end of an animal. The machine has been tested on ring-tailed coatis, which, like badgers, are comfortable entering tunnels.
The process is ingenious: a food bait lures the animal into a Perspex tunnel, where smart technology ensures each animal is vaccinated only once. Vaccinated animals are sprayed with nanoparticles that stick to their fur, activating sensors if they return, and a door opens to a different tunnel section for their exit.
For unvaccinated animals, a door opens to the vaccination section, where their movement is briefly restricted to position their hindquarters against the sensors. In an instant, a needle injects the animal, and several safety mechanisms ensure the animal cannot harm itself or escape with the needle.
Cholerton hopes conservation scientists, charities, and farmers will collaborate to trial his Autovacc machine. "It has to be a collaborative effort," he says. "The more interest, the better. It would be wonderful to see it used with wild animals, offering a less invasive approach to vaccinations."
Rosie Wood, chair of the Badger Trust, acknowledges the potential of this technology. "Vaccinating wild species is stressful, so it's encouraging to know that shy wild species can now be vaccinated without stress. There are countless possible applications for this technology, many of which we may not have considered yet, but could be crucial in preventing the next zoonotic pandemic."
However, Wood also points out that while vaccinating badgers can keep their populations TB-free, it may not have a measurable impact on bovine TB rates in cattle. "Even Defra now concedes that badger culling has no measurable impact on bovine TB rates, and if killing them isn't working, vaccinating them won't either."
So, what do you think? Could this robo-vaccination machine be the key to solving wildlife health challenges? Or is there more to consider? Let's discuss in the comments!
