Aug. 12 (UPI) — Mysterious fake cats have been placed in a pair of vacant lots in Cape Coral, Fla., in what wildlife experts believe might be an attempt to ward off burrowing owls.

Residents living near an empty lot along Southwest 25th Place in Cape Coral said six of the two-dimensional feline effigies were mysteriously placed in the grass near a known burrowing owl nest on the property.

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife volunteers discovered a similar scene at a nearby lot near the corner of Southwest 20th Avenue and Southwest 30th Street, but no burrowing owl nests were identified on the property.

A CCFW volunteer contacted the City of Cape Coral’s development services and was told an environmental consultant recently determined the burrow at the Southwest 25th Place lot was abandoned.

The lots had recently been sold, and CCFW volunteers theorized the fake cats might be an attempt to prevent more burrowing owls from moving into the properties before they can be developed.

Burrowing owls are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and they are classified as threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, making their burrows illegal to disturb without special permits.

“After talking to the neighbors, it looks like the lot was up for sale and the signs gone. So, I guess it’s been purchased, and somebody decided to go to the extreme to protect their lot,” CCFW volunteer Dawn Cardascia told WBBH-TV.

Feral and domesticated cats are among the main predators of burrowing owls in Florida.

“Please help our burrowing owls and the other birds of Cape Coral by keeping your cat indoors,” the CCFW says on its website.