Wildlife Poisoning and Animal Welfare

Illegal and legal poisoning of wildlife causes severe suffering to millions of animals annually, including non-target species affected by secondary poisoning and food chain contamination.

Key Facts

Rodenticide use kills millions of owls, raptors, and predatory mammals through secondary poisoning each year
Lead ammunition from hunting contaminates carcasses and causes lead poisoning in scavenging birds including eagles
Illegal poisoning of raptors and predators by some gamekeepers continues in several European countries
Diclofenac, used in veterinary medicine in South Asia, caused a catastrophic vulture collapse killing over 95% of some populations
Pesticides including neonicotinoids kill pollinators and are implicated in the decline of insectivorous birds

Welfare Considerations

Poisoning causes some of the most prolonged and agonising deaths in wildlife. Lead poisoning in birds causes progressive neurological damage over weeks. Diclofenac causes visceral gout in vultures — a painful, fatal condition. Rodenticide poisoning causes internal bleeding over days. Secondary poisoning disproportionately affects apex predators that are already under pressure from other threats. Reducing poisoning of wildlife is both a welfare imperative and a conservation priority.

What You Can Do

Use lead-free ammunition or fishing weights and advocate for mandatory lead bans
Switch to non-rodenticide approaches for pest control where possible
Support campaigns against illegal raptor persecution
Advocate for veterinary medicines to be screened for wildlife impacts before approval
Report suspected wildlife poisoning to environmental crime units