Deliberate and accidental wildlife poisoning causes widespread suffering and deaths across many species.
Wildlife poisoning causes some of the most severe welfare outcomes in any human-wildlife interaction. Anticoagulant rodenticides cause death through internal bleeding over several days. Organophosphate poisons cause neurological seizures and paralysis. Illegally poisoned birds of prey are found convulsing or paralysed, dying over hours or days. The cumulative impact on raptor populations and other wildlife is significant, but the individual welfare cost — prolonged suffering — is what makes poisoning particularly morally serious.