A Wildlife Article from All-Creatures.org

Rat Poisons Pushing Dozens of Endangered Species Toward Extinction, Including Florida Panthers, California Condors

From Center for Biological Diversity
November 2024

Rodenticides are a widespread threat to wildlife. Anticoagulant rodenticides have been found in 83% of bald eagles tested. Bald eagles are frequently poisoned and killed by rodenticides. State regulators have documented unintended poisonings in at least 38 different species in California alone, including the imperiled San Joaquin kit fox, northern spotted owl and California condor.

California Condor, image from Stockcake.com

A new Environmental Protection Agency evaluation finds rodenticides are pushing at least 78 endangered species toward extinction.

The decision released Friday assessed 11 active ingredients found in the vast majority of rodenticide products used by pest control companies, residential consumers and agriculture. The agency also suggested measures to reduce unintentional wildlife poisonings and better protect endangered species.

“Rat poisons unintentionally kill some of America’s most iconic endangered species, like California condors, Florida panthers and black-footed ferrets,” said Jonathan Evans, environmental health legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Steps to reduce harms to endangered species are critical to avoid pushing wildlife to extinction.”

The EPA’s plans to limit the rodenticides’ harms include requiring bait stations that reduce unintentional ingestion by non-target animals and limiting use within the habitat of endangered species.

The EPA’s new proposals were completed as part of a legal agreement with the Center to make important reforms to the endangered species review process to address decades of non-compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

The EPA’s biological evaluation will trigger a biological opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Measures to reduce harm to endangered species won’t be put in place until the EPA provides final decisions on each of the 11 active ingredients at a later date.

“The EPA’s proposals are an important step to better protect endangered species and avoid continued lawsuits that have plagued the agency for violating endangered species laws,” said Evans. “We’ll be watching to make sure the EPA follows through on these important reforms under the next administration.”

Rodenticides are a widespread threat to wildlife. Anticoagulant rodenticides have been found in 83% of bald eagles tested. Bald eagles are frequently poisoned and killed by rodenticides. State regulators have documented unintended poisonings in at least 38 different species in California alone, including the imperiled San Joaquin kit fox, northern spotted owl and California condor.

Rodenticides also pose a serious risk to people. More than 8,500 cases of human poisonings were reported in 2021 by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, including more than 8,000 involving children.

Less-toxic rodenticides and a variety of effective traps are available to control rodent infestations. To learn more about these and other safer alternatives, visit SafeRodentControl.org.

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: November 25, 2024
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