Wildlife volunteers in Cape Coral, Florida, have come across unusual cat-shaped cutouts placed in two vacant lots, and they believe the displays may be intended to discourage burrowing owls from settling there, according to UPI Odd News.
Residents near an empty lot along Southwest 25th Place said six two-dimensional fake cats were placed in the grass close to a known burrowing owl nest. Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife volunteers later saw a similar setup at another vacant lot near Southwest 20th Avenue and Southwest 30th Street, though no owl nests were found there.
According to the City of Cape Coral's development services, an environmental consultant recently determined the burrow at the Southwest 25th Place lot was abandoned. CCFW volunteers said the lots had recently been sold, leading them to suspect the cutouts were meant to keep more burrowing owls from moving in before development begins.
Burrowing owls are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and are classified as threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which makes disturbing their burrows illegal without special permits. CCFW volunteer Dawn Cardascia told WBBH-TV that it appeared someone had gone to “the extreme” to protect the property.
