A B.C. resident says she含羞草研究社檚 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 wasn含羞草研究社檛 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 bird含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渏ust dropped dead.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淛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 there含羞草研究社檚 a little bit of blood there. It appears that it was a poison,含羞草研究社� he said Friday. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e 90 per cent sure it含羞草研究社檚 poison.含羞草研究社�

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 含羞草研究社渆asy target含羞草研究社� for birds of prey.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 exactly how it happened,含羞草研究社� Hope said. 含羞草研究社淥nce that bird ingests it, the bird含羞草研究社檚 got days before, of course, it will die. It含羞草研究社檚 an anticoagulant. Basically, the bird is bleeding and there含羞草研究社檚 no stopping it.含羞草研究社�

Trozzo, who owns two small terrier dogs, said she was 含羞草研究社渞eally upset含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淢y dog, a while back, killed a squirrel. I don含羞草研究社檛 imagine that they would ever eat it, but I thought geez murphy, that含羞草研究社檚 dangerous to animals. Never mind just birds, and what about children?含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淲ho含羞草研究社檚 to say a kid含羞草研究社檚 not going to be the next one to go?含羞草研究社� Hope said.

Hope said that rat poison is required to be locked in a stationed box, however, there含羞草研究社檚 a chance that the rat could grab the poison and remove it from the box.

He said the poison is a 含羞草研究社渃ool blueish green colour,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渕ore often than not,含羞草研究社� and just last month, Hope retrieved two dead barred owls 含羞草研究社� both suspected of dying from poison 含羞草研究社� from the same area in North Vancouver.

含羞草研究社淎s far as pure numbers go, we don含羞草研究社檛 know含羞草研究社� but it含羞草研究社檚 definitely out there. There含羞草研究社檚 no ifs, ands or buts about it. It does happen,含羞草研究社� Hope said.

Hope said the OWL organization are advocates for rat traps and 含羞草研究社渞emoving poison from the environment.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not only birds, but it含羞草研究社檚 dogs, cats, kids. Almost anything is susceptible to it.含羞草研究社�

Trozzo said it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渃ommon knowledge含羞草研究社� that there are rats in South Surrey, and that people should use traps instead of poison.

含羞草研究社淲hat含羞草研究社檚 wrong with people?含羞草研究社� she said.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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