A B.C. resident says she91裸聊视频檚 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 wasn91裸聊视频檛 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 bird91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渏ust dropped dead.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淛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 there91裸聊视频檚 a little bit of blood there. It appears that it was a poison,91裸聊视频� he said Friday. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e 90 per cent sure it91裸聊视频檚 poison.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频渆asy target91裸聊视频� for birds of prey.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 exactly how it happened,91裸聊视频� Hope said. 91裸聊视频淥nce that bird ingests it, the bird91裸聊视频檚 got days before, of course, it will die. It91裸聊视频檚 an anticoagulant. Basically, the bird is bleeding and there91裸聊视频檚 no stopping it.91裸聊视频�

Trozzo, who owns two small terrier dogs, said she was 91裸聊视频渞eally upset91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淢y dog, a while back, killed a squirrel. I don91裸聊视频檛 imagine that they would ever eat it, but I thought geez murphy, that91裸聊视频檚 dangerous to animals. Never mind just birds, and what about children?91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淲ho91裸聊视频檚 to say a kid91裸聊视频檚 not going to be the next one to go?91裸聊视频� Hope said.

Hope said that rat poison is required to be locked in a stationed box, however, there91裸聊视频檚 a chance that the rat could grab the poison and remove it from the box.

He said the poison is a 91裸聊视频渃ool blueish green colour,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渕ore often than not,91裸聊视频� and just last month, Hope retrieved two dead barred owls 91裸聊视频� both suspected of dying from poison 91裸聊视频� from the same area in North Vancouver.

91裸聊视频淎s far as pure numbers go, we don91裸聊视频檛 know91裸聊视频� but it91裸聊视频檚 definitely out there. There91裸聊视频檚 no ifs, ands or buts about it. It does happen,91裸聊视频� Hope said.

Hope said the OWL organization are advocates for rat traps and 91裸聊视频渞emoving poison from the environment.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not only birds, but it91裸聊视频檚 dogs, cats, kids. Almost anything is susceptible to it.91裸聊视频�

Trozzo said it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渃ommon knowledge91裸聊视频� that there are rats in South Surrey, and that people should use traps instead of poison.

91裸聊视频淲hat91裸聊视频檚 wrong with people?91裸聊视频� she said.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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