Rat Poison Wreckage

As a 35-year resident, author of a field guide titled Animal Tracks and Scat of California, a professional naturalist, and expert animal tracker, I have seen the alarming effects of rodenticides on local wildlife and domestic animals. Yes! even our pets.

My experience of countless dying or dead animals is extensive. Recently in my neighborhood there has been an almost complete eradication of the great horned owls, the barn owls, and the western screech owls. Outside my window their nights calls used to be ubiquitous and now they are all but gone. Animal Control has also seen a spike in dead raptors in my area.

This crisis is pointing directly to the use of rodenticides. This not just affecting birds of prey, but effects are being seen throughout the food chain for the turkey vulture, striped skunk, opossum, raccoon, gray fox, bobcat, coyote, and mountain lion, to name a few.

Like the city of Malibu, we need to ban all rodenticides. If you have a rodent or squirrel “problem” there are countless ways to deal with the issue. As a city and as citizens we need to protect our wild denizens from the scourge of these insidious poisons.

Please, people, I implore you to wake up! Innocent creatures are dying for frivolous out-of-touch lifestyle choices.