Poisons used to control rodents, insects, and other pest species kill enormous numbers of non-target wildlife each year. Secondary poisoning — where predators consume poisoned prey — is a particularly significant welfare problem.
Poisoning causes prolonged, painful deaths for many wildlife species. Anticoagulant poisoning through secondary exposure causes internal hemorrhaging that can take days, during which animals may be incapacitated and vulnerable to predation while in distress. Lead poisoning from ingesting bullet fragments causes neurological damage over extended periods. Insecticide poisoning causes rapid but widespread mortality across vast numbers of invertebrates. The aggregate suffering caused by wildlife poisoning is enormous and largely invisible. Alternatives exist for most pest control applications and regulatory frameworks that restrict the most harmful compounds are demonstrably effective.