Imagine a world where vaccinations are administered with the precision of a robot and the gentleness of a caring hand. This is the vision of Tony Cholerton, an inventor who believes his automated vaccination machine, initially designed for shy zoo animals, could revolutionize how we tackle diseases in wildlife, particularly bovine TB in cattle.
It all began with Cinta, a tiger cub at the London Zoo who refused to eat when keepers were around, making vaccination a challenge. Cholerton, a former motorcycle engineer and zookeeper, stepped in. He created Robovacc, a machine that could quickly and efficiently administer vital jabs without human intervention. The machine, controlled remotely, successfully vaccinated Cinta, who barely noticed the injection, continuing her meal as if nothing had happened.
Cholerton's invention has evolved. He envisions a fully automated version, Autovacc, that could address the controversial issue of bovine TB in cattle, which is often spread by badgers. But here's where it gets controversial... For over a decade, there have been badger culls in England, while wildlife charities have been vaccinating badgers as an alternative. The core issue is that badger vaccination is expensive and time-consuming. It involves trapping the animals and holding them for hours before vaccination.
In contrast, Autovacc could vaccinate a colony of up to 20 badgers without human intervention, with each badger spending only a minute or two in the machine. Cholerton hopes his invention can offer a more humane and efficient solution. "The dream is to see it used by scientists and farmers," he says, believing his prototypes could be mass-produced cheaply. He adds, "This is about giving the scientists the means to show that the science is correct, and badger vaccination works. The farmers win because they have a means to solve the TB problem in cattle. Everyone wins."
After the initial success with Cinta, Cholerton adapted Robovacc for other animals at the London Zoo, including lions and Diana monkeys. He found it worked particularly well with carnivores. Cholerton is now focusing on the development of Autovacc. The machine uses three sensors to detect the animal's rear end, tempting the animal into a Perspex tunnel with food. The animal is then vaccinated. Smart technology ensures that the same animal is not vaccinated more than once.
Several safety mechanisms are in place to ensure the animal's well-being. Cholerton hopes to collaborate with conservation scientists, charities, and farmers to trial Autovacc. He believes that if it proves successful, it could change the way we approach wildlife vaccination. Rosie Wood, the chair of Badger Trust, supports the idea, noting that the technology could have many future applications, including preventing zoonotic pandemics.
And this is the part most people miss... Wood also pointed out that vaccinating badgers might not significantly impact bovine TB rates in cattle, even though the government has conceded that badger culling has no measurable impact on the rates of bovine TB in cattle.
What do you think? Could automated vaccination be the future of wildlife conservation, or are there other factors at play that we need to consider? Do you agree with Wood's point about the impact on bovine TB rates? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
