Will Authorities Step Up? Courtesy of the Harvard Animal Law & Policy Clinic A coalition of Massachusetts residents petitioned the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) in May to suspend the registrations of anticoagulant rodenticide products that are killing eagles, owls, and other wild animals throughout the Commonwealth. The petition—prepared by the Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Clinic—was submitted on behalf of bird rehabilitators Erin Hutchings, Jodi Swenson, and Linda Amato of Cape Ann Wildlife in Essex; mammal rehabilitator Jane Newhouse of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford; Marci Cemenska of Save Lexington Wildlife; James Joyce II and Patricia [READ MORE]
Local Activists Testify to Limit Rat Poisons
By Allison V. Lenk The morning we arrived to rally in front of the State House, we noticed two hawks circling the Boston Common. People excitedly pointed out when one of the hawks landed on the weathervane atop the Golden Dome of the State House. We optimistically decided it was a sign that the day’s testimony would make a positive difference in the cause to limit the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) which not only kill their intended target, but also sicken or kill birds of prey, other wildlife, pets, and even threaten the health of children. (See [READ MORE]
How is Belmont Controlling Rodents?
By Jeffrey North Two bald eagles have died in Middlesex County this year from second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) poisoning in Arlington and Waltham. The causes of death in both cases, anticoagulant rodenticide, were confirmed by MassWildlife officials after postmortem testing at Tufts Wildlife Clinic. Three different SGARs were detected in theirlivers. These are among the first cases of poisoning in American bald eagles in Massachusetts. Yet such secondary poisoning has been documented in hawks, owls, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, dogs, and cats. And thousands of children ingest or are otherwise harmfully exposed to these poisons every year. According to the EPA, [READ MORE]