A B.C. resident says she香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檛 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香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渏ust dropped dead.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淛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香蕉视频直播檚 a little bit of blood there. It appears that it was a poison,香蕉视频直播� he said Friday. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e 90 per cent sure it香蕉视频直播檚 poison.香蕉视频直播�

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 香蕉视频直播渆asy target香蕉视频直播� for birds of prey.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 exactly how it happened,香蕉视频直播� Hope said. 香蕉视频直播淥nce that bird ingests it, the bird香蕉视频直播檚 got days before, of course, it will die. It香蕉视频直播檚 an anticoagulant. Basically, the bird is bleeding and there香蕉视频直播檚 no stopping it.香蕉视频直播�

Trozzo, who owns two small terrier dogs, said she was 香蕉视频直播渞eally upset香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淢y dog, a while back, killed a squirrel. I don香蕉视频直播檛 imagine that they would ever eat it, but I thought geez murphy, that香蕉视频直播檚 dangerous to animals. Never mind just birds, and what about children?香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淲ho香蕉视频直播檚 to say a kid香蕉视频直播檚 not going to be the next one to go?香蕉视频直播� Hope said.

Hope said that rat poison is required to be locked in a stationed box, however, there香蕉视频直播檚 a chance that the rat could grab the poison and remove it from the box.

He said the poison is a 香蕉视频直播渃ool blueish green colour,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渕ore often than not,香蕉视频直播� and just last month, Hope retrieved two dead barred owls 香蕉视频直播� both suspected of dying from poison 香蕉视频直播� from the same area in North Vancouver.

香蕉视频直播淎s far as pure numbers go, we don香蕉视频直播檛 know香蕉视频直播� but it香蕉视频直播檚 definitely out there. There香蕉视频直播檚 no ifs, ands or buts about it. It does happen,香蕉视频直播� Hope said.

Hope said the OWL organization are advocates for rat traps and 香蕉视频直播渞emoving poison from the environment.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not only birds, but it香蕉视频直播檚 dogs, cats, kids. Almost anything is susceptible to it.香蕉视频直播�

Trozzo said it香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渃ommon knowledge香蕉视频直播� that there are rats in South Surrey, and that people should use traps instead of poison.

香蕉视频直播淲hat香蕉视频直播檚 wrong with people?香蕉视频直播� she said.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
Like us on and follow us on