Rodenticide Secondary Poisoning of Raptors

Anticoagulant rodenticides used in pest control kill raptors and other predators that consume poisoned rodents, causing prolonged suffering.

Key Facts

Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) accumulate in rodent tissue and persist for months
Over 80% of barn owls, red kites, and buzzards tested in the UK show rodenticide residues
Raptors that consume poisoned rodents develop anticoagulation, dying of internal bleeding over days
Poison-related barn owl deaths have been documented as a primary factor in population stagnation in some regions
First-generation rodenticides with shorter persistence offer a lower secondary poisoning risk

Welfare Considerations

Raptors dying of anticoagulant poisoning experience prolonged internal bleeding without acute distress at first — the condition progresses over days as blood cannot clot, with hemorrhage eventually causing death. The suffering is prolonged and the pathway invisible to observers. SGARs should be restricted to licensed professional use with trained applicators.

What You Can Do

Avoid using second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides in households and farms
Request that pest control contractors use lower-persistence alternatives when rodenticide is necessary
Advocate for SGAR restrictions to professional use only, banning retail sale to households