Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides designed to kill rats and mice accumulate in the food chain, causing prolonged suffering and death in raptors, foxes, bobcats, and other wildlife.
Wildlife exposure to rodenticides represents a form of inadvertent but preventable suffering. Affected animals experience progressive internal hemorrhaging over days, becoming weak and disoriented before dying. Secondary poisoning occurs when predators consume poisoned prey. The scale of impact is substantial: millions of non-target animals are estimated to be affected annually in the United States alone. Non-toxic alternatives including snap traps, exclusion, and natural predator habitat enhancement can effectively manage rodent populations.