Wildlife

Wild Red Kite Poisoning Welfare

Red kites face illegal poisoning through targeted baits and secondary poisoning from rodenticides, causing deaths decades after their successful reintroduction.

Key Facts

Red kites were reintroduced to England from Wales in 1989 after extinction in most of Britain
UK populations now exceed 10,000 birds across multiple reintroduction sites
Illegal poisoning with carbofuran and other pesticides remains a primary mortality cause
Secondary poisoning from SGAR accumulation affects red kites in areas with intensive rodenticide use
Reintroduction projects monitor mortality causes through post-mortem analysis of found carcasses

Welfare Considerations

Kites poisoned with carbofuran experience seizures and paralysis before death. Those with SGAR poisoning suffer hemorrhagic disease over days. Both causes represent preventable suffering in a recovered raptor population.

What You Can Do

Never use carbofuran or other banned pesticides that poison raptors
Minimize rodenticide use and choose the least toxic effective options
Report suspected raptor poisoning to the RSPB and police wildlife crime teams