During July, volunteers from BirdLife Australia launched a national blitz to get bird-killing Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) out of our environment.
SGARs are potent poisons commonly used in Australia to control pest rodents. But they are also killing native wildlife predators, such as owls, eagles, magpies and snakes. Domestic animals, such as dogs, are also at risk of being poisoned through eating the dead or dying rat, which have been described as walking timebombs due to the slow-acting nature of the poison.
Conservation groups like BirdLife Australia, and concerned citizens and proactive councils across Australia have been working together to find solutions to protect our local environments from these widely available poisons, which have already been heavily regulated or banned in Europe, the US, and North America.
BirdLife Australia’s Action Kit for Councils details how local governments can phase out the use of dangerous SGARs. There are also brochures for pet owners and gardeners that provide information around keeping our immediate home environments safe.
Additionally, BirdLife Australia has launched a petition asking Bunnings to stop selling SGARs, which the company continues to stock despite knowing the risks. See https://www.actforbirds.org/bunnings-petition
You can find everything else you need at: www.actforbirds.org/ratpoison
Original article courtesy of Pittwater Online News https://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/community-news.php
Suzanne Plater.