A B.C. resident says sheB次元官网网址檚 concerned for the safety of her pets after learning that an owl, which was found dead on her property Thursday, was killed after it ate rat poison.

Christine Trozzo, who lives on South Surrey, noticed an abnormally lethargic barred owl perched high in her birch tree on Wednesday.

With a hunch something wasnB次元官网网址檛 quite right with the bird, she called Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL), based in Delta.

OWL raptor manager Rob Hope told Trozzo that it was unsafe to retrieve the bird because of how high it was in the tree, but told her to keep an eye on the animal and call him immediately if the bird moved to the ground.

The next day, Trozzo found the birdB次元官网网址檚 body in her yard.

Later that day, Hope went to investigate how the bird had died, and said that the juvenile owl was in perfect health, but it B次元官网网址渏ust dropped dead.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淛ust examining the bird myself, from what I saw and where the bird was found. The fact that the bird is healthy, mouth is pale, and thereB次元官网网址檚 a little bit of blood there. It appears that it was a poison,B次元官网网址� he said Friday. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e 90 per cent sure itB次元官网网址檚 poison.B次元官网网址�

Hope said that the owl most likely ate a poisoned rat. After a rat ingests poison, which contains the chemical bromadiolone, it becomes lethargic, making it an B次元官网网址渆asy targetB次元官网网址� for birds of prey.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 exactly how it happened,B次元官网网址� Hope said. B次元官网网址淥nce that bird ingests it, the birdB次元官网网址檚 got days before, of course, it will die. ItB次元官网网址檚 an anticoagulant. Basically, the bird is bleeding and thereB次元官网网址檚 no stopping it.B次元官网网址�

Trozzo, who owns two small terrier dogs, said she was B次元官网网址渞eally upsetB次元官网网址� to learn of the cause of death. She said she will be posting a bulletin around her neighbourhood to warn pet owners and young parents to be extra cautious when out for a walk.

B次元官网网址淢y dog, a while back, killed a squirrel. I donB次元官网网址檛 imagine that they would ever eat it, but I thought geez murphy, thatB次元官网网址檚 dangerous to animals. Never mind just birds, and what about children?B次元官网网址�

Hope shared Trozzo concern over a child inadvertently eating rat poison.

B次元官网网址淲hoB次元官网网址檚 to say a kidB次元官网网址檚 not going to be the next one to go?B次元官网网址� Hope said.

Hope said that rat poison is required to be locked in a stationed box, however, thereB次元官网网址檚 a chance that the rat could grab the poison and remove it from the box.

He said the poison is a B次元官网网址渃ool blueish green colour,B次元官网网址� and that it may attract the eye of a young child.

OWL will send the dead raptor to a federal agency for a toxicology test, which Hope expects will confirm his suspicion that the owl was poisoned.

Raptors dying from eating poisoned wild life happens B次元官网网址渕ore often than not,B次元官网网址� and just last month, Hope retrieved two dead barred owls B次元官网网址� both suspected of dying from poison B次元官网网址� from the same area in North Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淎s far as pure numbers go, we donB次元官网网址檛 knowB次元官网网址� but itB次元官网网址檚 definitely out there. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no ifs, ands or buts about it. It does happen,B次元官网网址� Hope said.

Hope said the OWL organization are advocates for rat traps and B次元官网网址渞emoving poison from the environment.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not only birds, but itB次元官网网址檚 dogs, cats, kids. Almost anything is susceptible to it.B次元官网网址�

Trozzo said itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渃ommon knowledgeB次元官网网址� that there are rats in South Surrey, and that people should use traps instead of poison.

B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 wrong with people?B次元官网网址� she said.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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