Environment

Owl dies from rodenticide poisoning in Belmont, conservation group says

Environmental advocates say this is not the first — or last — rodenticide-related death in Massachusetts.

November 21, 2024

2 minutes to read

An owl at the Habitat Education Center in Belmont died after ingesting rat poison, conservation organization Mass Audubon said in a press release.

On Nov. 5, a visitor to the habitat, which is operated by Mass Audubon, called their wildlife hotline after they noticed a “groggy” owl that fell off a log it was perched on, the release said.

The statement said a local veterinary clinic came by to observe the animal, and later transferred it to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic. It died two days later, and the cause of death was determined to be secondary anti-coagulant rodenticides poisoning, the release said.

Widespread of poisons mean ‘this owl won’t be the last’

Second Generation Anti-Coagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) are a type of poison commonly used to control rodent populations, the statement said. When ingested, it prevents blood from clotting, which in turn causes internal bleeding, organ failure, paralysis, and even death, according to the statement.

While the retail sale of SGARs was banned nine years ago, Mass Audubon said they remain legal to use by licensed animal control professionals in Massachusetts.

“The poison is set out as bait and is consumed by rodents like rats and mice, which then return out into the wild. When the rodents do eventually die from the poison, they … become an easy meal for predators like owls and hawks,” the statement said. “These birds of prey suffer the effects of secondary poisoning, experiencing a drawn out and painful death, which could take months.”

Mass Audubon said this is not the first time a death like this has happened. According to the statement, a 2020 study found that all of the Red-tailed hawks tested at a wildlife clinic in Massachusetts had SGARs in their bloodstreams. In addition, a separate study cited by the statement found that 82 perfect of sampled bald eagles had SGARs in their bloodstream.

Mass Audubon started A Campaign to Rescue Raptors, which seeks to reduce the use of rodenticide.

“We’re looking for help from landowners, pest control professionals, and volunteer wildlife advocates in every community across the Commonwealth to protect our wildlife by reducing the use of SGARs in our cities and towns, as well as by advocating for change at the State House,” the statement said.